Wishful Thinking
by ladyhades
Summary: Rei has to choose, take what you want, or take what you can get. Set in the Silver Millennium.
1. Drunk again?

**Disclaimer - I don't own anything. Don't sue me. You know that old saying, blood from a rock?**

**Yeah. It's like that.**

**Author's Note - Yeah, we're looking at some shoujo-ai here, so if you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that. Anywho, the idea of past lives intrigues me, so I decided to revisit the Moon Kingdom. It is pretty AU, but who cares?**

**Rated T, just because you can't be too careful. **

**Pairings are : Rei/Minako, Ami/Makoto, and slight Rei/Usagi. **

**Well! Have fun! Like it, hate it, whatever, let me know. Flame on baby.**

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**If it hurts, don't do it.**

"_I can't confront the doubts I have. I can't admit that maybe the past was bad, and so, for the sake of momentum, I'm condemning the future to death so it can match the past.'_

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"I need another drink."

"No you don't! The princess will have my head if she catches you ." came the gentle, yet chiding reply.

Mars scowled. "You know, she's not my mother, and it's my night off. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be taking your post? You **are** the leader…"

The soldier of Venus gave a musical laugh and shook her head, blonde hair flowing down her back like a silken waterfall. She swung around on her stool until she was facing the bar, and propped her head up on one arm. Deep cerulean eyes closed, and she let out a sigh of contentment. The dim light of the crystals on the wall cast a surreal glow over her golden armor. It was heavy enough to protect the soldiers from most hits, but light enough to provide them plenty of flexibility and quick reflexes in the thick of battle. A typical suit consisted of a chest and back plate, gauntlets, and plated leg armor that stopped mid thigh over a long shirt and pants. Each of the chosen warriors from the star system had their own unique color, with the symbol of their home world emblazed on the back.

Besides, getting drunk, plus shiny things, equaled supreme happiness as far as Mars was concerned. Dear God. She was starting to sound like Serenity.

"Jupiter swapped with me tonight. She'd do just about anything to spend time with Mercury." The blonde replied, cracking one eye open to watch her comrade's face for any visible reaction. None. How typically boring.

The fire warrior ordered another shot anyway with a subtle wave of her hand, and the barmaid had it in front of the raven haired woman in seconds. Before the cheerful blonde could protest, Mars had downed it and slammed the glass back on the counter with the faintest slip of a smile gracing her features. "And you're gonna spend your night off with me in a bar?"

Venus let her eyes wander around the tavern. It really was a dark little dive. The two warriors sat at the lone counter against the far back wall, on rickety, rotten wooden stools Five tables were arranged haphazard around the room behind them, looking tired and old. The floor seemed to heave and groan under it's own weight, the wooden planks blackened and worn where many unhappy souls had dragged their feet. The barmaid, if she could even be called that, was at her station behind the counter, wiping the inside of a glass with a dirty rag. Grey, snarled curls crowned her head. Her cheeks sagged, and her lower jaw seemed to stick out a little farther than her upper. A hooked, broken nose and swollen, bloodshot eyes gave her the appearance of some horrible dog demon, Venus decided. A horrible dog demon built like a barn.

The blonde ran her eyes over her friend, taking in the dark haired woman in her black armor. _'Like an angel of darkness'. _she decided. It made her heart twinge to think of Mars, sitting in this dingy bar, in her dark armor, looking like another lost soul. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed. "I really don't know why you come to places like this Mars. The kingdom is filled with so many beautiful things, and yet you go out of your way to find the hideous."

Dog-demon-barn lady snorted rather ungracefully and poured two shots, placing one in front of Mars, and sliding the other across the counter to Venus.

"Now you's listen here little lady." Dog woman growled. "If it weren't for the little pyro here, me an' all the other undesirables would be dead. During the last great battle, she came down on her lonesome to protect us from those damn monsters." She nodded to herself, a half smile gliding over her face. "The only reason I don't up and kick your girly prim n' proper ass outta her is cause you're with her." she added, with a jerk of her head in Mars' general direction. "Now you drink that Blondie. Loosen yourself up."

Venus' jaw dropped and an indignant look crossed her delicate features. She slammed her arms down on the counter and rose from her seat, her golden armor clinking in protest as she stood.

Mars reached over and rested a black gloved hand on her shoulder, shaking her head back and forth. She could see it already. Her proud leader would throw out the, 'Do you know who I AM?' speech and it would be all down hill from there. As much as she liked a good brawl, all she wanted to do was get good and tanked tonight. "Hey, Venus, let it go. Hilde didn't mean any harm. Besides, it's just us here, so no one saw the blow to the ego."

Venus huffed and flopped back down on her stool, but not before fixing Hilde with the most horrible death glare she could muster. "Yeah, well, tell Witch Helga over there to call off the dogs and I'll behave." She growled.

Hilde let out a horrible cackle and turned her eyes on Mars. "Hey Pyro! I thought you were too old to play with dolls! Where did you manage to find one that talks?"

"Doll?!?! Well, you're just jealous DOG LADY! Probably haven't gotten any action in the last century!" Venus snapped.

"Shaddup Blondie, before I waltz over there, take the stick outta your butt, and beat you with it." Hilde tossed back, with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Mars swore she could see steam shooting out of Venus' ears, and she just lost it. She crossed her arms across the counter, buried her head in them, and began laughing hysterically.

Venus and the barmaid had stopped tossing insults, and were now watching the fire soldier in wonder. Mars stopped laughing long enough to look up, and upon seeing the looks of pure confusion on the women's faces, burst into new peals of laughter, tears running from her dark violet eyes.

Hilde smirked again, and looked over at Venus. "Now, Blondie, is it really all that hideous?"

Venus glanced at Mars' giggling form, and let out a sigh of defeat. "No. No it's not." she replied with a light smile. "Ah, what the hell." she murmured, and downed her own shot.

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Hours later, a very drunk Mars was dragging an equally drunk Venus back to the palace. "So much for not getting drunk on your watch." Mars quipped with a dopey grin, readjusting the blonde's arm that was slung over her shoulders.

"Yeaaaaaaah, how bout that? The two top member's of the princess' guard, staggering home." Venus drawled, giggling when she stumbled slightly. "Ya know what Pyro? This is all your fault. Hn. Pyro. I really like that nickname. It fits you."

"My fault?" The raven haired woman repeated, shaking her head to clear her blurry vision. "Who's the one that wanted to turn this into a contest?"

"It was worth it, just to hear that story from your mouth. You protecting all those people. I didn't even know the monsters had made it out this far. You're a hero."

Mars scoffed. "Some hero. I needs my bottle"

"Why do you do that?" Venus asked, cerulean blue eyes curiously peering up into violet ones.

"Cause I can." Mars growled. She looked down at Venus and felt her heart crack at the hurt look the blonde was giving her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head. _Really did drink too much.. Making me soft. _"You know, your eyes. They could almost be hers." she added after a moment.

"So that's what this is about." Venus replied.

"Oh crap. Was that out loud?" The fire soldier groaned.

Venus giggled cheerfully and nodded her head. "Can't hide anything from the goddess of love!"

"Some goddess." Mars retorted. "You're still single."

"Heeeey!" The blonde whined, pushing into Mars with all her weight. The raven haired woman staggered on drunken feet and gravity, harsh mistress that she was, took control. The two warriors fell in a tangled, awkward heap in the palace gardens.

Mars groaned as her world spun dizzily above her. She brought a gloved hand to her face and covered her eyes, taking slow deep breaths to regulate her heartbeat. '_Dear God, if I get sick and pass out here, the cadets will never let me hear the end of it.'_

The warm, blonde squirmy mass that had planted itself on her chest finally rolled off, and a very disoriented looking Venus sat up slowly, holding her own head in her hands.

"Damn Mars, did ya have to wear your armor? I thought it was your night off."

"Yeah, well, some dumb blonde is always knocking me down. Gotta have some kind of protection. Sides. Seems like I'm not the only one"

Venus scowled rather cutely, and Mars regretted drinking as much as she had for the tenth time that evening. The fire warrior reached up and grabbed a hold of the back of Venus' chest plate and yanked her back down into the grass before her common sense could regain control.

The blonde let out a small squeak of protest, but settled down next to Mars nonetheless. They lay quiet and motionless, gazing up into the night sky.

"It's so beautiful." Venus breathed.

"Hn."

"What do you think of those Earth people?" The blonde asked, fixing her eyes on the planted that seemed to loom over both of them. "Do you think their queen would really try something stupid, like an attack?"

Mars narrowed her eyes at the mention of the Earthlings. "Hard to say. As much as I hate to admit it, Endymion seems to have pure intentions. But I don't want to be caught off guard. Princess Serenity seems to be quite taken with him." she added with a mild hint of disgust.

"Are you saying that from the view of Mars, or from the view of Rei?" Venus asked quietly.

Mars pushed herself up onto her elbows, and looked down at her leader. "You haven't called me that in forever."

Venus laughed. "We've been on alert for so long, with all these monsters popping up, and now all these rumors about Earth being a threat. I guess we all kinda go into soldier mode. Maybe it's the drink that loosened my tongue. Perhaps we can do something about that later." She added with a suggestive wink.

Mars found herself blushing under the love goddess' intense gaze and made a mental note to throttle the hell out of herself when she was sober. She sprawled back out in the grass and willed her heartbeat to return to normal.

"You avoided the question Rei." Venus said in a near whisper.

"What question?"

"Do you worry because it's your duty, or are you jealous?"

The raven haired warrior stiffened, and the blonde could feel the tension coming off of her in waves. She rolled onto her side, and laid her arm across Mars' chest plate.

"What are you doing Mina?" Rei asked in a low voice, using all of her will power to keep it from cracking. _'Please, any higher power that may be listening, get me out of this and I will never ever drink again. I swear it.' _

Minako ran her fingers over the numerous dents and gashes in Rei's armor, a grim reminder of how short their lives could be if they weren't careful. She swallowed hard, and chose her words carefully before speaking. "We all love her, you know? Our whole existence in this world revolves around protecting her, and keeping her safe. It's been that way for generations before this one, and it will continue on after this life is long over."

Rei fought the cold shiver that was threatening to run over her body.

Venus continued. "We all feel just like you do. It hurts. It rips my heart out to see her in his arms. I guess it doesn't even surprise me that I feel like this. We were made to feel this way. Otherwise we couldn't do our jobs as effectively. She's always treated us equally, except for you. You're her best friend. You're always the first one she runs to. Good day, bad day, it doesn't matter. She'll cling to you, and hold onto you."

Mars squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to stop the tears that were forming behind her lids. "Why are you doing this Minako?" she asked at last, her voice cracking under the strain.

"Because." the blonde answered at last, her voice wavering. Mars turned her head to face Venus and saw she too, had tears running down her beautiful face. "I can only imagine how much it hurts for you. I've seen it for years. I guess I was waiting for the liquid courage to say something." she added with a weak laugh. "Mercury and Jupiter had the right idea I guess. They want to be heartbroken together."

Rei felt her own heart break, and before she knew what she was doing, she had gathered the beautiful goddess of love up in her arms and kissed her.

Somewhere, in the bittersweet tangle of lips and sharp breaths, Rei realized they were both sobbing.


	2. And fun shall be had by all

_Blood. Blood everywhere. Mars staggered down the main corridor towards the throne room, gripping the hilt of her sword so tightly her knuckles ached. She tried to ignore the sight of one of her own squad members pinned to the wall, three feet off the floor. His face was twisted in an agony one could not even begin to imagine, one hand still gripping the spear that had been rammed through his chest. _

_She moved past him, and felt rather than saw the arrow fired straight at her temple. She strafed to the left, the head of the arrow making an unearthly noise as it tore through the lobe of her right ear. She had sheathed her sword, spun a full one hundred and eighty degrees, firing off a flame sniper back in the direction of the unseen enemy, all before the first drop of blood from her new wound hit the white marble floor._

_The demon lurking in the shadows of a column hit the floor himself, choking and gurgling as it clawed fruitlessly at the flaming projectile lodged in it's jugular._

_Mars pressed forward. To her left, down one of the side halls, she could pick up the sounds of a fierce battle. She drew her sword once more, and readied herself before she turned the corner. The sharp, aching pain in her right leg seemed to scream at her, begging her to rest. The fire soldier glanced down briefly. 'Crap. It's already gone through the bandage. Maybe I should have left the damn dagger in there.'_

_A terrifying war cry from Jupiter snapped her back to her situation. A youma tore around the corner Mars was preparing to turn down herself, followed by a very anger soldier of thunder. Mars launched herself at the demon, ignoring the screaming pain that tore through her side, and thrust her sword through it's heart. It hissed in anger and surprise, and with it's dying breath, brought it's own sword down in a sweeping arc. _

"_Damn coward!" Jupiter snarled, catching it's wrist in the process, knocking it's blade loose, and snapping the joint back until it's clawed fingers touched it's forearm. The eerie cracking of bone made Mars shudder involuntarily. Jupiter gave the fire soldier a toothy grin and dropped the demon. "Thanks. Little bastard could run fast, but not fast enough."_

_Mars wrenched her sword free as the body fell to the floor, and gave Jupiter a thankful grin of her own._

"_Come on, you can worship me later." The brunette said with a smirk. "But for now, we gotta find Venus. She should have the princess secured by now." _

_Mars gaped at the blood caked all over Jupiter's face, and nodded mutely. Together they continued down the main hall at a hurried pace._

_The thunder soldier broke the silence first. "Hey Mars, you're bleeding pretty bad. You ok?"_

"_Yeah. I'm good. Things are getting nasty in the courtyard. For every monster I kill, five more take it's place." She paused to spit out a mouthful of blood. "One of them got in a lucky shot." _

_Jupiter eyed her critically, but said nothing. From what she could see, Mars had a bad leg, and her abdomen was bleeding heavily. A large nasty gash marred the surface of her armor, just below her ribs, and the brunette cringed when she saw fresh blood ooze with every step. 'Damn it. This is getting really bad. We're all banged up. I don't know how much longer we can fight.'_

_As if she could read the thunder soldier's mind, she said, "You know, you're not a ten yourself." _

_Jupiter grinned in response. "The powers that be gave me two eyes for a reason. I was always curious as to when I'd lose one. You know what they say about sharp objects…."_

_Mars grunted in the affirmative, and nodded to Jupiter when they reached the double door entrance to the throne room. Each warrior took a side, and on the silent count to three, swung the doors open, weapons at the ready._

_Never in her darkest nightmares could she prepare herself for what she saw next. She fell to her knees, sword clattering uselessly to the floor beside her. She tried to move, tried to speak, but found all she could do was cry. _

_---------------_

Rei snapped awake, launching herself bolt upright, the silent scream dying on her lips. Her brain hammered against her skull relentlessly, and she quickly clamped her jaw shut to stamp out a cry of pain.

'_Dream. Dream. It was just a damn dream.' _She closed her eyes and gently massaged her temples with her finger tips. _'Felt so real. That's what I get for drinking so much last night.'_

Last night. Something about last night. Something important. It was right freaking there. She could almost grasp it….

A groan and light movement to her left brought her back to reality. She blinked, confused, and just about passed out when she discovered the form wrapped in _her _sheets on _her _bed. Whoever it was had a pillow over their head.

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid.' _she chastised herself, punctuating the thought by slapping her palm into her forehead., forgetting all about her wonderful hangover. The searing pain above her eyes joyfully reminded her however, and it took all Rei had in her not to cry.

More rustling to her left. The raven haired woman swore under her breath. She had to figure out what happened. Fast. She knew she was in her own room, her own bed. Fabulous start. Her eyes did a quick survey of the room. Her chest plate had been tossed carelessly to the floor. It now lay in the center of the room, the sun's rays dancing off the polished black surface, almost mocking her. She got a glimpse of a gauntlet half under the foot of the bed, and another on the end table beside her. Her pants dangled off the sword mounted on her wall, and her shirt was in a heap under the lone chair on the far side of the room.

Her stomach wrenched. Of course. She was naked. Apparently there was great fun involved. Another curse under her breath. She frowned inwardly. Ok, all of her clothes were accounted for, so……

She grabbed the sheet covering her mystery guest and timidly lifted it up. Smooth creamy skin, graceful curves, and long legs greeted her eyes. She dropped the sheet and studied the sleeping form. A female. Definitely a naked female. She could handle that. She had brought a girl or two home on her wild nights out. Lifting the pillow covering the head seemed like a rather risky endeavor, and she needed to know who she was dealing with so she could act in the appropriate manner. Rei tried to replay the previous nights activities in her head. She was at her usual bar. Her night off, who was there with her?

A loud shriek startled Rei from her musings. Her head whipped around to the crystal on her end table. Noon? It was already noon?? That meant….

'_Oh dear god….'_

A loud banging on the door caused her to jump just a little higher. Her princess' voice carried through the heavy oak. "Rei? Are you up yet? I've waited long enough!"

Rei tried to speak but her mouth had gone dry. She caught another voice through the door as well. "Weird. She's never late. And why are Minako's clothes all over the hall?"

'_Jupiter too. Of course. I'm late for our sparring match. Wait. What? WHAT??? Minako???'_

"That's it. I don't care how mad the great Mars gets. I'm going to drag **her **lazy butt out of bed for once." Serenity announced gleefully.

Rei was now officially in full blown panic mode. She was pretty damn sure Minako was the blissfully sleeping guest in her bed. With a speed that would have impressed even the great soldier Uranus, Rei leaped to the other side of the mattress, scooped up the still sleeping Venus, sheets and all, and promptly deposited her under the bed.

"What the mpfh" The fire soldier swiftly covered the blonde's mouth with her hand and apologized quickly.

"Please, please Mina, for the love of all that is pure and good, please, just be quiet for a few minuets, ok? We'll talk after. I'm so, so very sorry. Please!"

Minako's eyes widened slightly as it dawned on her that a very naked, and very panicked Rei was her attacker. She nodded slowly, and gave her friend? Lover? A look that promised they would indeed be discussing this very soon.

Rei cringed visibly, and yanked the blanket down to cover the goddess stashed under her bed. She threw herself into the spot Minako had occupied only moments before and yanked the blanket completely over her head, with not a second to spare. The door was thrown open, and before Rei could even give a sigh of relief, her princess had thrown herself on top of the raven haired girl.

"Reeeeeeeeeeei! Come on! Get up already!" Serenity demanded with a giggle, poking her bodyguard in the ribs.

Rei let out a growl, feigning sleep, and pushed the bouncy blonde off of her. Not one to be deterred, the blonde once again jumped on her loyal soldier and pulled the blanket off of her face.

"Hey! There you are sunshine! Come on! The day's half over! "

"This from the one who would sleep all day if we'd let her." came the gruff retort.

Serenity gave her a look of playful indigence, and mock punched her in the jaw. "We were looking all over for you, you know. Had me worried. We couldn't find Minako either."

"Minako?" Rei repeated dumbly.

"Yeah. Found all her stuff in the hallway here." Jupiter added from the doorway with a smirk.

Rei felt her eye twitch. She could fool the blonde, but not the great soldier of thunder. Jupiter coughed quietly into her fist, and Rei had to fight the blush that threatened to give her away.

"Ah, well," she started, floundering for the words. She swung her leg off the bed, and felt something that distinctly felt like a fingernail poke her in the ankle. The corner of her mouth twitched nervously, and Jupiter had to stifle a laugh.

"What?" Serenity asked, now thoroughly confused, looking back and forth between her soldiers.

Now Rei did blush. _'I must have been insanely evil in some past life. I bet I killed puppies on Christmas and made armor out of baby teeth….'_

"Why are you blushing like that? Are you sick? I bet you were out drinking! Rei! What did I tell you about that?"

Rei groaned inwardly and wished the ground would just open and swallow her whole. She covered her face with her hands and let out a frustrated sigh. That was when her princess picked up on mistake number two.

"Ah, Rei? What happened to your clothes?"

'B_aby teeth? No. Must have been worse. I bet I have killed many, many nuns, and then burned down some orphanages. Maybe I ate the babies. Grind their bones to make my bread kinda stuff. Maybe I can save this.'_

"Sorry Princess. I was out drinking, and Venus was with me, but we split up. I was so messed up I came home and stripped down. I get insanely warm when I drink." she explained hastily.

Serenity chewed on her lower lip for a moment, and nodded to herself. "But you still don't know where Venus went?"

"Who knows. Last time we all had a drink, she streaked around the courtyard, remember?"

The princess giggled at this, and Minako pinched the back of Rei's ankle as hard as she could. Rei let out a cry of pain in surprise and sat up on the bed quickly, almost knocking heads with Serenity.

"What's wrong?" she cried, laying her hands on Rei's shoulders, concern in her deep blue eyes.

"Ah, nothing. I'm good. Just a cramp." She hissed through clamped teeth, swinging her unseen foot back to catch Venus in the forehead.

Minako bit back her own cry of pain and pinched Rei again. By now, Jupiter looked like she was going to burst. She blurted out a hasty lie about needing to be somewhere, and took off down the hall, her laughter ringing in Rei's ears.

The princess gave her another look of concern, and shook her head, treating Rei to one of her dazzling smiles. "I'll leave you to get ready, ok? Please. Take care of yourself Rei. It hurts me to see you do this to yourself. Maybe one day you'll talk to me about it."

The guilt the fire soldier felt at that moment tore her apart, and she had to turn her gaze away.

Serenity leaned in and pressed her lips to her bodyguard's forehead, then wrapped her arms around Rei and hugged her tight. With that, she was gone, and the warrior from Mars knew her troubles were only beginning. As soon as the door was closed, Minako crawled out from under the bed, hugging the sheets to her lithe form. Rei gave her a sheepish grin in apology, and wasn't the least bit surprised when the goddess of love decked her.

'_This sure isn't going to help my hangover.'_


	3. Future shock

Rei winced. The black ring that was rapidly forming around her left eye was going to be impossible to hide. _'Tch. Guess I deserved that one.' _She tossed the hand mirror onto the bed and let out a sigh of defeat. How the hell did her life get so complicated in the past two days? An even more depressing thought crossed her mind. How the hell was she going to fix it? She wandered over to her window and pushed aside the blood red curtains. The other soldiers had already assembled in the courtyard down below. Venus had her back towards the soldiers' quarters, and seemed to be talking rather animatedly with Mercury, arms waving wildly about. The blonde made a fist and slammed it into her other palm, with a force not unlike the one that left Rei's bruise. Mercury's eyes went wide, and Rei felt her heart twinge.

'_Oh yeah. She is definitely pissed.' _The bluenette patted Venus on the shoulder sympatheticallyand said something Rei couldn't make out.

'_Knowing how to read lips would be tremendously helpful right now. Maybe I could work that into the curriculum.' _she thought, absently tracing the bruise with her fingertips. The fire soldier chuckled in spite of herself. '_That girl does have a mean hook.'_

Jupiter looked up in her general direction, and Rei let the curtain slide back into place. She began pacing around her room, armored boots clinking. _'I can't hide up here forever, but I don't even have the first clue about what I should say. If I could only remember what happened, it just might make things a bit easier.' _

Her head throbbed. Yeah, as if she needed another reminder.

She paused when she came to the opposite side of the room, and rested her forehead against the soothingly cool wall. '_When did I become such a coward?' _

She closed her eyes and let out the deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Remembering became her number one priority, and she certainly couldn't do it here in the palace. Besides, her head was still ached, and the idea of having the goddess of love beat her into the floor in front of everyone else was definitely not appealing, training match or not.

All right. Issue settled. She headed towards the door, grabbing her blade from the weapons rack. _'Humph. Had enough sense to put that away last night. Ah well. Time to grab the tail of the dog that bit me.'_

At first, she contemplated sneaking out the back door, via the exit tunnel built in case of an attack. No, that wouldn't do. She probably looked like a damn coward in the eyes of the others already. Besides, sneaking out would probably just send her princess into overdrive. Everyone knew her well enough to guess where she was headed. She could picture sweet Serenity marching straight into the tavern and dragging her out by her ear.

Her ear. She thought back to her dream, and suppressed a shudder. It had felt so real. Was it her hopped up imagination? Probably not. It seemed, as of late, that most of her dreams came to pass. Perhaps she would get the chance to talk it over with Pluto later. Then again, even that wouldn't do a whole lot of good. The aloof time guardian would probably give her some cryptic advice that never made sense until the crucial moment had passed. Damn time fluxes, or paradoxes, or whatever the hell Pluto called them.

A great battle was approaching, that much she knew, and Mars was pretty damn sure it involved the Earthlings. Maybe she should question Endymion on his next visit. A sadistic smile graced her features as she pictured ramming her armored fist into his perfect pretty boy face. The smile vanished quickly however, as she continued to go over the few clues the dream left her.

One of her fellow soldiers was supposed to die. Though, judging by the shape she and Jupiter had been in, she was almost confident that none of them would make it.

What did that mean for her princess, or worse, the queen?

Scratch that. She really did not want to think about that.

She paused, her hand resting on the door that would lead her to the courtyard.and to Venus. She brought her hand up to her face and sighed.

"Just what the hell am I doing? Something horrible is going to happen, and I'm worried about a stupid one night stand. I'm not even sure it was a one night stand!

"Well, you are a female." a voice teased from behind.

Mars mentally slapped herself and turned to face the speaker.

"Artemis. I'm surprised. You're not clawing my eyes out."

"Too much work." The white feline replied with a grin. "I'll leave that to Mina."

"Yeah." Rei sighed. "I kinda figured she'd tell you."

"Not bad for a petite blonde. I think we trained her well."

"What?"

"Let me guess. You're gonna tell everyone you fell."

Feeling very self conscious, Rei covered her black eye.

Artemis tilted his head, as if he were shrugging. "Hey. I'm not going to scold you. You're old enough to know what the right thing to do is."

"Get really, really drunk?"

"Now, that's what got you into this in the first place." he chided. "I will say this though. She really does care for you."

Mars suddenly found the floor to be very, very fascinating.

"Listen, Rei, you've come a long ways. I can still remember the day you joined us here. You, and Jupiter, were the only ones who could handle the toughest training. But on down time, when the other girls ran off to play, you'd just stand there, looking completely lost."

"Venus." Rei murmured, recalling the memory with a faint smile. "Venus is the one who made me play, and have fun."

Artemis nodded. "Coming from the great war planet like you did, I wasn't surprised to see you become such a fierce fighter, and I know your loyalty and devotion is just as fierce."

Rei's eyes met his. "And that's my problem." she breathed.

"Let me share something I've learned during my years of duty. Wishful thinking is nice, but that's all it is. Wishes. You keep looking away, you'll miss the real show."

"The real show?"

"Yeah. People tend to ignore what's right in front of them, and flitter the hours away pining for something they can't have. Tomorrow never comes until it's too late." he shook his head sadly. "You should understand that better than anyone, being a soldier."

"But I can't lie, Artemis. I can't look her in the eye and promise her something I can't give her. That's not fair. How do you think that would make her feel?" Rei swallowed the knot in her throat, and continued.

" I could hold her, and whisper all the things she wants to hear, but you know what? She'll doubt me. Always. She'll wonder if I'm saying those things to her, or to someone else. And besides, I don't even remember what happened yesterday, and I can't start fixing the problem when I'm not even sure what the problem is." she shook her head to clear her thoughts, and sighed.

"The worst part is, something very unpleasant is going to happen. I honestly don't think we're going to pull through it."

Artemis felt the fur on his spine stand on end. "Something that bad? You have another vision?"

"Yeah."

"Have you informed the queen?"

"Not yet." Rei replied. "But I plan to. All I know is that if we want to make it out of this alive, we need to be a team. Right now, I'd say the team is a little fractured."

"Understatement of the year." Artemis quipped.

Even Mars had to smile at that. "No kidding. But I promise I'll fix this. Right now, I just need some time to think, and then I'll smooth things over with Venus."

Artemis nodded. "I understand."

Rei knelt on the floor, and scratched the feline behind the ears. "You know, you're not half bad, for a talking hair ball anyway."

"Watch it, or I will start clawing at you." he growled.

She laughed, and rose again, shifting her sheath and resting one hand on the pommel of her sword. After she braced herself mentally, she let out a deep breath and gave the cat a toothy grin. "Now. Off to the den of lions."

"It scares me when you smile like that." Artemis muttered. "Please, just…try not to hurt her."

Mars just spun on her heels and pushed the door open, looking as though she had all the confidence in the world.

That confidence quickly faded when she felt three pairs of eyes bore holes into her skull.

'_What, do I have a curse word carved into my face? Heh. I know. I bet my forehead says, 'Hey! Look at me! I kill puppies! Please! Shower me with disdain and stones!'_

Rei's steps faltered for the briefest of moments, and she was half tempted to turn back and run away._ 'Yeah, look at the great Martian warrior. Watch the soldier of fire flee from three girls.' _Her resolve renewed, Mars cleared her throat quietly and strode purposefully towards the group._ 'Just remember, "great warrior", one of those girls took you down with one hit. Just imagine what the three of them could do together. I bet it would be one hell of a fight._

To her complete and utter amazement, no one hit her. That's when she begin to feel very nervous indeed. She could handle the hitting. She could handle the name calling. One thing she could not handle was not knowing what was going on. _'Oh, dear gods above. They're not going to turn this into some sappy hug-fest are they?'_

Mars decided to act first. She walked past Jupiter, and paused to rest a hand on her bronze shoulder guard.

"Hey. Keep an eye on Mercury, alright Blinky?

"Blinky?" Jupiter repeated.

"Yeah. Watch the sharp objects."

Jupiter let out a genuine laugh. "Hey, I think you knocked her pretty hard Venus."

The blonde had her back turned to Rei, and was staring off into a line of distant trees. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Venus snapped.

"Makoto!" Mercury called reproachfully.

The brunette just shrugged, and gave Mars a smile. "These things just take time." she whispered helpfully.

"Yeah. And I don't know how much of that we have."

Jupiter gave the raven-haired girl another confused look, but she had already approached Mercury.

"Does um, your face hurt a lot? I can take a look at it, if you want." the bluenette offered quietly.

Rei shook her head no, and smiled at the small warrior. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Ami and hugged her tight. A light blush rose to Mercury's cheeks as she hugged the fire soldier back, looking very perplexed. "Ah, you ok Mars?"

"I'm ok. I just worry sometimes I guess."

Mars let the genius go, and finally found the courage to approach Minako. Mercury took this as a sign to give them room, and led Jupiter back into the palace.

"Hey, Ami, is she ok?"

"I'm not sure. Signs of affection from her are odd, to say the least."

"No kidding. Oh man, Wait." Jupiter called, tugging on Mercury's arm. "I have a bad feeling."

"Bad feeling?"

Makoto nodded. "Do you remember the last big battle? When we had that massive flow of black energy?"

"There were youma everywhere." Mercury recalled. "I honestly think a horde that size would have taken down the palace, had Mars not warned us. She even managed to defend the lower kingdom."

"Exactly."

"Wait, what?" Ami asked, not liking the feeling in her gut.

"I think she saw something." Jupiter replied. "She kinda got like this last time, all dark and brooding."

"Mako, she's always dark and brooding. Anyways, she had a rough evening."

Rei's words suddenly struck Makoto hard. '_She told me to watch over Mercury, and then she hugged Ami….' _Jupiter suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, and pulled Ami into her arms.

"Ok. Now I'm getting confused. And it's definitely weird for **me** to be confused." Ami confessed.

Makoto tried to calm her hammering heart, and kissed the top of Mercury's head. _'I'll protect her, even if it kills me. I've already wasted so much time, just trying to find her.' _Jupiter forced herself to laugh. "Sorry. You just look so cuddly today."

The ice soldier sighed.

---------------------

"Hey Venus, truce, ok?" Mars asked quietly, holding her hands up in the air.

The blonde wouldn't even turn to face her.

Rei dropped her hands. "Minako, please. I know you're angry…."

"You're damn right I'm angry!" she snapped, turning to face Mars at last. " I can't believe you treated me that way!"

"I'm sorry! I panicked!"

"Well that's putting it lightly!"

"Did you want everyone to walk in on us?" Rei growled. This was going nowhere fast. She hadn't wanted to start another fight.

"What, were you that ashamed of us? Had to hide it?"

"Yes!" The blonde's glare could have melted tempered steel. Mars cringed inwardly. "I mean, NO! I don't know. I'm still trying to remember what happened." All this yelling was killing her head.

Minako was dumbfounded. "You don't remember?"

Mars shook her head.

"Not at all?"

Mars found the toes of her boots to be very entertaining.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Venus asked, softer this time. A normal tone.

"Uh, the barmaid handing my money back to me, fifth round or so. She said I was…"

"..overpaying her." Minako finished quietly.

Rei swallowed hard. She hadn't even considered the fact that the blonde might have remembered everything.

"I'm sorry Mina." she whispered, taking one of Venus' hands in her own. "Just, please, give me some time to sort this out. "

Minako nodded, slipping her hand out of Rei's. Rei was shocked to find that very small action slugged her like a fist to the solar plexus.

"I can at least give you that. Besides. I feel kinda bad for punching you."

Mars nodded. "Can I come find you later? I…I don't want this to ruin what we had."

"Have." Venus corrected quietly. "Yeah. Talk to me after you figure yourself out." and with that, she was gone.

Mars sighed deeply. There was only one thing left to do now.

--------------------------


	4. Ouch

-------------------

Mars took her usual seat at the bar, signaling Hilde with a wave of her hand, clamping the other firmly over her eyes.

"An' what will it be today dear? Mornin' after special?"

"Of course." Rei replied with a smirk.

"Rough night?"

The fire soldier snickered, and winced when the searing pain in her head kicked in. "You have no idea."

"Oh, I'm thinkin' I do. You an' doll face were lookin' pretty cozy on the way out."

Mars peeled her fingers away from her eyes, and gave Hilde a look that would have killed someone smaller.

"Ooooh, look at that! What a shiner!" she jeered. "Of course the Pyro would like it rough!"

"Consider yourself lucky. If my head didn't hurt, you'd be in some serious pain." Rei growled. "I pity the poor bastard that's stupid enough to test me today."

Hilde chortled, and slid a glass filled with an unhealthy looking concoction over to Mars. "Ya know, fire starter, I'm killin' my business when I say this, but if you wouldn't hang around here so much, your head wouldn't be hurtin' so bad."

Rei raised the glass in sarcastic appreciation of her sound advice, and was just about to take a swig when the door to the tavern flew open. A resident from the lower kingdom staggered in, blood oozing from his chest . Four long, deep jagged gashes revealed bone .

Mars turned slowly on her stool, and winced when she saw the damage. _'He's not going to make it.'_

"Oooh, he's bleedin' bad." Hilde cried, rushing around the other side of the counter to help him.

"A…a demon…." the man gasped, sliding to the floor. "In the alley…."

Mars was beside him in no time. "Where?"

"Behind…tavern…" the man gasped,. He reached up with a shaky hand and gripped Rei's arm tightly. "Get him...for me." he whispered with a shaky grin. A spasm tore through his body as he let out a pain soaked groan, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Oh Gods. He's dead." Hilde murmured.

"With a wound like that, must be a nasty creature." Rei growled, drawing her blade. "Hilde, board up the door, just in case. I'll come back with an all clear."

The barmaid nodded.

Mars gave her a sad smile. "Tell you what. I'll stop coming in when **they **stop killing innocent people."

She rose, and an evil grin slid over her face. _'Looks like I met one stupid bastard.'_

She shut the tavern's door firmly behind her, and quickly scanned the building's ledge above her head.

'_How bold, to attack during the day. It was either really hungry, or insanely desperate to keep itself hidden. Not stupid enough to jump on me apparently. Guess I have to track it.'_

Mars followed the trail of blood leading from the tavern's door and turned the corner leading into the back alley. She didn't even bother to hide her footsteps, or take cover. One thing she had learned during her years as a soldier was this; fear made you stupid. If the demon was hiding in a dark corner, just the sight of the angry Martian warrior heading towards it would make it panic. In it's fear, it would encompass the fight or flight reflex. Either way, she would be wiping demon blood off her boots tonight.

Her plan worked perfectly. When she approached the back corner of the dark, narrow alley, the demon attacked. She actually had to halt and lean back a good six inches to avoid the long narrow claws that raked past her face.

Her arm lashed up and out, catching the monster's wrist. She brought her sword arm down, ramming the pommel of her blade into the back of the demon's skull. It hissed angrily, stumbling from the blow. Without pausing, she released it's wrist, grabbed what she could only assume was it's hair, and brought it's face into her armored knee. It squirmed frantically, clawing at the fire soldier blindly.

She dropped to one knee and thrust her sword up and forward, through it's shoulder, pushing the demon back until her sword had effectively pinned it to the wall. She brought her free hand to it's face and released a fireball from her palm.

The demon screamed.

"Shut up! Now!" She growled.

It hissed back, revealing long, curved teeth.

She eyed the beast callously. It was thin, and bony. Ashen grey skin was now permanently marred by scorch marks. It's face was too badly burned for her to determine what it may have been in human form. _'Damn. Over kill much? Even burnt the hair off.' _It did, however, don a purple tunic uniform that she recognized immediately.

"So. You work for Beryl?' She questioned, pushing her blade a little deeper.

No answer, except for an angry growl.

"Come on. Play nice, Lumpy." She snarled, wrenching the blade to and fro. "I want us to be friends."

It screamed and clawed fruitlessly at Mars, kicking uselessly at the wall behind it.

"I'll ask one more time." she smirked. "and then **I'm** gonna be the one who's not playing nice."

It quit fighting, and glared at Rei through the only eye it had left.

"That's better. Now come clean."

The demon nodded slowly. "Yes. I work for Queen Beryl."

"Good start!" Mars proclaimed cheerily. "I think we can be friends after all! Now tell me. Why are you here, in **MY **kingdom?"

It let out a haggard breath, and ran a dry purple tongue over burnt lips. "I'm a scout."

"Scout for what? For the big attack?"

It's eyes widened.

"Thought so. Now Lumpy. Tell me how much time we have left."

The demon curled what was left of it's face into a snarl. "Piss off."

"Wrong answer!" Mars snapped, ramming her fist into it's face.

The monster's head flew back, connecting with the hard stone wall.

When it's howls of pain had diminished to mere whimpers, Mars asked again.

"Remember, this is your last chance Lumpy."

Tears ran down scarred cheeks. "The night of the Princess' ball."

"Honest?" Mars asked sweetly, giving her blade a hard push to the left.

It let out another ear piercing scream, and shook it's head frantically. "Yes! Yes!"

"Good. Let's end this. I hate it when I have to be this way."

"Agreed." The monster snarled. "Let's end this."

Before she could even react, the demon wrenched it's body hard, pulling against the sword. Bone snapped and tissue sliced itself to ribbons on the sharp edge, and the demon staggered a few steps forward with a gasp,.

Mars realized in horror that it had torn it's own arm off. The discarded limb hung from the wall and her blade like some dark macabre joke. The demon caught her in the jaw with a hard uppercut, knocking her down. She quickly rolled and pulled herself up into a sitting position, ready to fire off one of her arrows. But the beast was quicker. Even worse, it had produced a dagger form the folds of it's tunic, and drove the blade straight down.

'_Now THAT frigging hurts. Stupid useless armor!'_

Rei hissed in pain and fell back. The demon had planted the dagger just above her collarbone on her left side, missing her neck by mere inches.

"Go to hell!!" The monster snarled, leaping through the air, claws extended.

Mars fired her arrow just in time, sending it through his eye and out the back of it's head. The body crumpled on top of her, and she shoved it off quickly with her good arm, gasping in a mixture of pain and relief.

"You first bastard." She spat, struggling hard to get to her feet. She rose on shaky legs, and wrenched her sword out of the wall.

'_My damn drink better still be there.' _She stumbled weakly, leaning all of her weight on her blade. _'Damn. There is no way I can pull this damn thing out myself. I'll bleed to death before I get around the corner.' _The world spun hazily, but she pushed herself forward. _'Ugh. Serenity told me drinking would kill me.'_

Rei became dimly aware of the fact that she was rapidly losing consciousness, and she found herself giggling in spite of the tremendous pain. _'Light headed is so not good. It feels like my brain is leaking out..'_

She found herself in front of the tavern, and pounded weakly on the door. "Come on, it's me. You gotta open the door quick." She stumbled again on unsteady feet, and the world went dark for a few seconds.

After what felt like an eternity, the door cracked open, and Hilde was dragging her inside.

"Oh God, you're hurt bad. Tell me what to do!"

It was becoming difficult to breathe now. She had to work quickly. "Get me...your strongest bottle of rum." she panted, slumping down against the wall.

"Aye! You can't go an' have a drink now!"

"Please." Rei whispered. "Trust me."

Hilde obediently fetched a bottle, and yanked the cork out. "You!" She demanded, pointing to one of her patrons. "Get some help! Get to the nearest Med Center now!'

The man nodded quickly and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

Mars slammed back half the bottle and coughed when the fiery liquid burned past her lungs. "Ugh. Best pain reliever known to man" She drawled. "Okay lady. I need you to yank this dagger out, and immediately pour the rest of the rum on the wound."

"But...you'll bleed to death before we can..."

"Trust me." Mars rasped.

Hilde nodded weakly and wrapped her hand around the grip.

Rei held her hand out in front of her, and focused all the fire energy she could gather into her palm. A tiny blue flame danced across her hand. _'Not much, but it'll do. It has to.'_

Her head felt like it was leaving without her. Her world spun again, and Mars laughed weakly. "Great. I think I'm gonna die an airhead. Venus will be so proud."

'_Minako. If this doesn't work, I'm really sorry.'_

Hilde yanked on the blade with all her strength, and after several tense seconds, it slid free.

The pure unbridled pain of all that alcohol on her wound brought Mars back to the harshness of reality. She slammed her flaming hand over the wound, effectively searing it shut, and screamed until she thought her lungs would explode.

Her head knocked back against the wall as she finally began to black out. She let the darkness take her this time, and let her thoughts drift to her Princess. _'Don't be mad Serenity. I just wanted to protect you. I know when they're coming, maybe I can stop them. Please don't cry...'_

Finally, everything went blissfully dark.


	5. Easier to Lie

**Author's Note - Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I'm really glad everyone's enjoying it so far! Warms the cold dark little spot where my heart should be. I'll update as often as I can. It shouldn't be too hard. I don't have much of a life. Props to my woman for letting me sit up all night long and type. Such an awesome girlfriend. Her only stipulation? She gets to read all my updates first. **

-----------------

Venus slammed Mars up against the wall. Hard. The sharp clang of metal on stone seemed to echo throughout the entire palace.

"Mina! Be quiet! You wanna wake everyone up?"

The blonde giggled and pressed herself up against the stoic warrior.

"Oh, come on Rei. You wanted to move this out of the garden." she murmured, running her finger tips down the soldier's face. "And besides, it's just the four of us in this entire wing. I'm sure Jupiter and Mercury are out cold. They'll never know what we're doing."

"Just what are we doing?'

"Getting to know each other a little better. Do you always have to be so serious?"

"Someone has to be. Do you ever the get the feeling like you're sane, and everyone is crazy, or that you're crazy, and everyone else is sane?"

Cerulean eyes blinked in confusion. "Do you get like this every time you get drunk?"

"Probably. I guess that makes me the crazy one."

Minako pulled Rei's face down and kissed her gently. "You know," she whispered, "I don't think you're crazy."

"No?"

Another giggle. "No. You want to know what I think is crazy?"

"I'm not sure I want to know. Wait. Wait. I'm sure now. No."

"Ahhh! Rei!!" Venus cried, looking very hurt indeed.

'_The lip. She's giving me the pouting lip. That is __**not**__ fair. Gods.' _Mars let out a defeated sigh. "Ok, tell me. What's so crazy?"

"What's **crazy** is the fact that I put up with you!"

Rei laughed. "No one told you that you had to."

"True. But you're just so damn sexy I can't help it."

Mars wasn't sure if it was all the alcohol coursing through her veins, or if it was the fact that the blonde hadn't given her personal space in hours, but all the blood in her body rushed straight to her face.

"Aw! Now that's cute!"

"Shut up." Rei growled.

"Make me..." the blonde purred.

Rei's heart jumped in her chest at the look in Minako's eyes. She paused, for the briefest of seconds, as if unsure how to proceed. At last, shaky arms wound themselves around Venus' waist, and Mars pulled her close.

Minako suddenly seemed very shy, and Rei almost felt guilty. She looked vulnerable, almost fragile, but it was the blonde that initiated the next kiss.

Shy, and sweet at first, but it intensified into something much stronger. Mars was slammed back into the wall again, but this time, she had no comment.

The wall Rei had so carefully built around her feelings crumbled. All the frustration, hurt, and anger seemed to fuel her. Her unrequited love haunting her as she switched positions quickly, trapping Minako against the wall.

The kisses were desperate now. Venus buried her fingers in raven black hair as Mars ravished her mouth. She moaned in sweet pleasure as Rei began to guide them back to her room now, never stopping. Deft fingers made short work of the blonde's clothing and armor, scattered all down the corridor.

Rei's head was buzzing deliriously, and her heart felt like it was hammering in her ears. She kicked the door to her room open, and the drunken pair stumbled in. Minako began to remove Rei's clothing, running burning hands all over her body, and Mars found she had barely enough sense of mind to slam the door shut.

Everything began to blur at that point. Venus pushed her backwards, onto the bed, and pulled Mars' boots off.

"Damn. You really _are _the goddess of love." Rei admitted, breathless.

"That's what I've been saying. But you damn Martians are so thickheaded." Minako replied with a giggle, sliding Rei's pants down and off, tossing the garment over her shoulder.

Mars growled, pulling a very flushed, lightheaded blonde down beside her. In one smooth motion, she yanked the blanket from the foot of the bed up and around both of them.

A rough, calloused hand traveled over silky smooth skin, starting at the blonde's shoulder and stopping at the small of her back, with feather light kisses in between. She shook the dark hair out of her eyes and moved back up, kissing Minako lightly on the lips.

"Tell me. Are you sure you want to do this Mina?' her voice low and husky. Minako pressed the palm of her hand against Rei's cheek, crystal clear blue searching violet.

"Because, I couldn't stop now, even if I wanted to." Mars whispered. "I don't know how you do this to me."

"Well, it helped that I got you_ completely drunk."_

"Like I'd have to be drunk to notice you." Rei murmured, tracing invisible shapes across Minako's back with her fingertips.

"Like I said before, you Martians are _dumb."_

Rei began to kiss and suck at the blonde's neck. "Am I being dumb now?"

"Oh god, no." Minako breathed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Then tell me, are you sure?"

"Yes."

Rei tightened her arms around Minako, and pressed her face in the blonde's neck. "I'm not sure what will happen in the morning." she admitted, burning a path of hot butterfly kisses across Minako's collarbone.

"We can worry about that tomorrow." Minako gasped, burying her fingers in raven locks, as the hand that was on her back slid over her hip, and down her thigh.

"Figured you'd say something like that." Mars replied with a smile, letting her hand travel where the blonde wanted it most.

"_Oh God, Rei. Just don't let go_."

"Never." Mars whispered. The fire soldier almost couldn't believe her name could sound like that. The feelings that ran through her as the sweet words tumbled from the goddess' lips seemed foreign. She felt hurt, but it was as if she couldn't remember why. As she pushed Mina over the edge, and wonderfully long nails ran down her spine, she looked into beautiful blue eyes and saw her own thoughts and fears gazing back at her. It hurt.

Rei laid down beside the blonde, and pulled her impossibly close, lightly dragging her fingers through the golden silk that cascaded down Minako's back.

They laid together like that, for what seemed to be hours.

'_God, she's beautiful. So beautiful it hurts.' _She had to close her eyes, just for a moment. It was killing her, and she could at last remember the reason why.

"Why? Why do you have to look so much like her?"

A soft, gentle caress of her cheek broke her resolve, and her eyes opened, shining with the tears that threatened to spill over. Minako leaned forward and kissed her, gently.

"I understand how you feel." the blonde whispered. "All too well." A tender smile. Sad, broken blue eyes.

Rei tried to speak .She wanted to give words of comfort, to soothe them both, but the words seemed to die on her lips.

"I understand." Minako repeated, beautifully soft kisses following her words.

"I'm sorry." Rei's voice cracked.

"Don't be, because I'm not. And besides, there's absolutely nothing wrong with us being miserable together." the blonde replied with a genuine smile.

Rei had to laugh at that.

"That's better." the blonde giggled. "You're so beautiful when you're not sulking." She punctuated her statement with a wink. "But do kindly tell me what's so funny."

"Your logic. It confuses me sometimes." she admitted with a grin.

"It's supposed to, I'm a blonde, remember? The day I start making sense to a dumb Martian like you, the universe would implode."

Mars laughed again, and kissed Venus gratefully. "Thank you. For everything,"

"Oh, I'm not even close to done with you." the blonde purred, pushing Rei onto her back.

And as Venus began to teach Mars exactly why she was called the goddess of love, Rei couldn't help but think that Minako had been right all along, about everything.

--------------

"How much longer do you think she's going to sleep?" Serenity murmured, resting her head on Minako's shoulder.

"I don't know Princess." Venus answered truthfully, wrapping an arm around her. She frowned inwardly. _'Mars, I don't know what you were thinking.'_

Jupiter let out a frustrated sigh from the other side of the infirmary. "Well, if she doesn't wake up soon, I'm going to punch her myself." she proclaimed rather loudly.

"Makoto." Ami warned quietly, thumping the thunder soldier in the arm. Mercury pressed her finger to her lips for silence and turned back to the doctor she was consulting.

"Sorry." Jupiter murmured, hanging her head.

Minako giggled, despite the serious situation. "Whipped."

The brunette's jaw dropped in indignation, and she was about to reply, but was silenced by Mercury's warning look.

Venus snickered quietly, earning herself a gentle thump in the head from her princess.

"Behave." Serenity warned, but the smile tugging at her lips killed any reproach in her voice.

Minako gave her a sheepish grin, and shrugged lightly.

Jupiter pointed her finger at Venus, and mouthed the word whipped.

Minako coughed, and turned her head, but Makoto had already caught the light pink blush that graced her cheeks.

Mars shifted slightly in the infirmary bed then stilled. The somber mood returned, and the group fell silent.

"All right." Mercury said with a nod, motioning for everyone to come close as the doctor excused himself. "She's lost a lot of blood, of course, but she should recover in a few days. She's lucky she didn't have a cut tendon, or anything more serious with the wound being where it was. The alcohol sterilized anything that might have gotten into the wound, but she did leave herself a nasty burn scar."

"The Pyro, of all people, should know what's flammable." Venus muttered.

"True, but if she hadn't sealed the wound, she would have bled to death Venus." Mercury replied with a gentle shake of her head. "She really did the best thing she could have done in a situation like that. However, she did damage a lot of soft tissue, and she's going to be in extreme pain for awhile. That's why we're considering keeping her on some opium tea."

"Opium!?" Serenity gasped.

"Yeah, I know." Mercury said with a smile. "But it's the strongest pain killer we have. So after she wakes up, we'll all have to keep an eye on her." They all nodded. in agreement.

"Well," Venus began with a sigh. "now we need to discuss our next issue. Judging by the scene of Mars' fight, I think we're dealing with more than a random demon appearance. I've spoken with the queen, and we're upping the palace guards by fifty percent."

"That many?" Jupiter asked, eyebrows furrowed. "You think it's that serious?"

"There's no telling, until sleeping beauty wakes up." Venus replied with a smile. "But, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Serenity's eyed widened slightly, and she positioned herself a little closer to her soldiers.

"Don't worry Princess." Mercury said with a smile. "It'll be ok, we'll protect you, and Mars will wake up soon."

As if verifying Ami's prediction, Mars mumbled something in her sleep, and smiled.

"What do you think she's dreaming about?" Serenity asked with a relieved smile of her own.

"I don't know," Jupiter replied, "but that is one hell of a grin."


	6. Heart Cooks Brain

_---------------------------------_

_'Ugh. Where the hell am I?' _Violet eyes cracked open slowly. _'White. Everywhere. Everything seems so bright.' _She blinked in sleepy confusion, and realized she was lying on her back, in a strange room. She tried to lift her head, but to no avail. It was as if every part of her had grown very, very heavy, and impossible to move. Her eyes had already begun to ache from the harsh lighting.

'_Ok, so what the hell happened? How did I get here? Oh damn. The demon! I have to warn everyone!'_

It took every ounce of strength she could find in her body, but she finally succeeded in coaxing stiff limbs back to life. She drew her knees up, wincing at the horrible cracking sound her joints emitted. _'God, how long have I been laying here?' _She did a quick once over of her body. Her armor and uniform had been removed. She was now clothed in a loose white shirt, and light drawstring pants. Her wounds had also been dressed, apparently.

She tried to push herself up into a sitting position with her arms, but the sudden searing pain that ripped through the left side of her body and down her left arm nearly caused her to black out. Her head spun, and her eyes screwed tightly shut.

_'Am I dead? I must be dead. This is hell!'_

"Rei? Oh God, Rei! You're awake!"

'_Can't be Satan, the voice is too beautiful.'_

Mars eased her eyes open, despite the muscle spasms that tore through her, and was taken aback by the sight that greeted her.

'_Mina?'_

The blonde had obviously not been sleeping well. Her face was pale, on the brink of sickly, and dark circles under her eyes marred her perfect features. The simple white dress she was wearing was rumpled and creased, a sure sign she had slept in it. Even the golden locks Mars had spent so much time running her fingers through looked limp and tired.

Minako pressed a soothing hand to her face, gently pushing Rei's bangs out of her eyes. "Listen. I've got to get Mercury, ok? Please, don't try to move. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Mars tried to smile, but found the act impossible. She gave Venus the only sign of comprehension she could manage by taking the blonde's free hand with her own and squeezing Minako's fingers.

If Rei hadn't been in so much pain already, the smile Minako gave her would have broken her in half.

"I'll come right back. I promise." she whispered, sliding her hand out of Rei's and disappearing down the hall.

Mars gritted her teeth and slammed her palm into her forehead out of sheer agony. _'I swear to God, it feels like something is crawling around in my wound! I'm about ready to chew my own damn arm off!'_

Just as Rei began to seriously contemplate the idea, Minako returned with Mercury in tow. The ice soldier set a glass of something that looked suspiciously like pure, undiluted evil down on the end table to the right of her bed, and gave a slight nod to Venus.

"Rei, we're going to sit you up now, so you can drink some medicine Mercury cooked up. Please don't punch either of us." the blonde said with a nervous grin.

_'Punch her? What the hell is she talking about? Why would I punch her?'_

Minako looked across the bed at Ami, and nodded quickly. Ami slid one hand under Rei's right shoulder, and the other at the small of her back, with the blonde following suite on the opposite side.

"On three." Ami instructed.

"One."

'_Oh no. Oh **hell** no...' _

"Two."

'_Wait!' _Mars turned pitiful, pleading violet eyes towards Venus. _'Don't do this Mina. Please don't do this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for any wrongs I have ever committed upon you, please, for the love of all that is pure and good...'_

Minako winced.

"Three."

The pain Mars had experienced thus far seemed to be little more than a mere paper cut compared to what she felt now at the hands of her so-called friends. Her muscles screamed in torment as her body was shifted up into a sitting position. Her arm burned as though it were on fire.

'_I was wrong. She IS Satan! Punch them? No. When I can move, I'm going to fucking kill them.'_

"Rei, I'm really sorry. I really am. But we had to do it." Minako explained weakly, quickly maneuvering pillows in a desperate attempt to make the fire soldier more comfortable.

'_Funny. That was going to be my excuse when they ARREST me.' _Rei thought bitterly between waves of ungodly pain.

Ami's hand was suddenly under her chin, gently tilting her head up, and the cup of evil black broth was brought to her lips.

Mars took a huge sip of the concoction, and nearly spit it all back out. It was horribly bitter, and it made her mouth numb. She wasn't sure how much more unpleasantness she could handle today.

"I know it's rotten, but you need to drink the whole glass." Mercury tried gently. "You won't feel anything after it kicks in, trust me."

Rei gave Ami a rather doubtful look, but drank the rest of the sludge anyway, erupting into a violent fit of coughing. Each gasp seemed to strain at her already throbbing torso, so when a hand slipped into hers, she caught it in a death grip and hung on for dear life.

After her coughing subsided, Mars discovered that a rather euphoric feeling had begun to wash over her body. She noticed that the horrible stabs of pain were ebbing away into mere pinpricks, and it was much easier to breathe now. She carefully eased herself back against the headboard, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, the room was much darker. Apparently someone had been kind enough to tone down the lights. What felt like only a minute or two had apparently been much longer. She was alone in the room now, except for Minako, who was curled up in a tiny chair at the soldier's bedside, fast asleep.

The horrible crawling feeling suddenly seeped back into her shoulder, but this time, it wasn't painful. Mars shrugged it off as the wound trying to heal itself, and turned her gaze back towards the blonde.

'_I should wake her up. I need to warn everyone about the attack, and god only knows how long I've been in this room already.'_

But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Venus looked so peaceful, and Mars really wasn't sure about how many peaceful days they had left.

'_Tomorrow never comes until it's too late.'_

Whatever it was that Mercury dumped down her throat still gave her the warm fuzzy feelings, and looking at the blonde seemed to make them worse. Everything seemed to be going so horribly wrong, but Rei felt happy. It was confusing, and it was really starting to piss her off.

A light twitch across the fingers of her right hand brought her attention to her lap, where she was surprised to discover Minako's fingers still laced between her own.

'_She was holding my hand, this whole time. And the chair. I bet she's been sleeping here next to me since I got here. That explains the rough appearance. '_

Rei shook her head absently. Images from the dreams she had while knocked out began to creep forward from the depths of her subconscious.

'_Kissing her, holding her. I remember now!'_

She could her Mina's voice in the back of her head, soft, but clear. "_Just don't let go_."

"Never.." Mars whispered hoarsely, her voice cracked and rough from days of non-use. She cast her gaze back on Minako, and slumped down wearily. '_That's why you were so angry when I didn't remember. Oh, god, I'm so sorry.'_

She brought their entwined hands to her lips and kissed the back of Mina's hand tenderly. _'I'll make it up to you. I swear it.'_

The blonde shifted slightly with Rei's movement, and blue eyes fluttered open. "Mmm. Good nap." She purred with a warm smile and light stretch. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, quite a bit actually. How long was I out?"

"Three days."

"Three days? Damn." _'That gives us eighteen days until everything falls apart.' _

"Any pain?" the blonde inquired.

Minako's tear-stained face flashed briefly in her mind, and Mars had to swallow the hard lump in her throat. "No. No pain."

Venus seemed to notice at last that she was still holding Rei's hand. A light blush colored her cheeks, and she began to mutter apologies and pull her hand back.

Mars tightened her hold on her hand and shook her head. "Don't be sorry Mina. I'm not." she whispered in her raspy voice.

The blonde just stared at the wounded soldier, and Rei could swear she saw the light of understanding dawn in her eyes.

"Rei...you..."

"Rei!" The door to the infirmary room swung open and banged against the wall violently.

Venus jerked herself away from Mars guiltily, as though she had been burned. Rei on the other hand barely had the time to recover from her shock when a pig-tailed blonde mass flung itself across her lap.

"Princess?"

"Oh Rei! You really are awake! I was so worried!" Serenity wailed, blue eyes glittering with unshed tears. She firmly wrapped tiny arms around the fire soldier's waist and hugged her midsection tight.

Mars opened her mouth to say something, anything, but for the life of her, she couldn't think of a damn thing _to _say. She snapped her jaw shut with an audible click and looked back over to where Venus _should've _been, but the chair had been vacated.

In through the door came Jupiter and Mercury now, both looking guilty. Luna and Artemis trailed behind them, and Rei could faintly pick up the black feline's voice grumbling about royal behavior and protocols.

"I'm really sorry Rei. I told her to let you sleep, but you know how she gets." Makoto said with a sheepish grin.

Mars nodded dumbly, and looked down at her charge, still clinging to her waist. "Serenity, don't kneel on the floor. Come on, you can sit on the bed. " she muttered in gruff affection, shifting her legs over to make room.

The Princess gave her a smile that made her stomach do somersaults, and immediately relocated herself to the edge of Rei's bed. Once situated, she took a hold of Rei's hand and refused to let go. Now Mars was thoroughly confused. Not even five minutes ago she was trying to patch things up with Minako, and now here she was, catering to her Princess.

'_Yeah. I'm doing a damn fine job at making it up to Venus_. _It's really amazing how quickly I can screw things up. I think this is a new record, even for me. Where did she go anyway?'_

Surprisingly, her sweet, naive princess had the answer. "Ah, Venus? Why are you hitting your head against the wall?"

All eyes turned to the goddess of love., currently thumping her head against the far wall and muttering to herself. Minako stopped, mid thump, and spun around to face her friends, letting out a high pitched nervous laugh. "Um, helps me think?" she tried lamely.

"Leave it to a blonde." Mars teased gently. Venus caught the warm affection in her tone and gave her a genuine smile in return.

"Hey!" Serenity protested belatedly, thwacking Mars in the arm.

'_Woo! Saved!' _Rei cheered internally as the group laughed. That bizarre crawling feeling suddenly started up in her shoulder again, and her left arm twitched visibly. Her attention snapped back to her wound, and she stared at her arm quizzically. _'Now what the hell was that?' _Another crawling sensation sent needles of pain this time, and she winced slightly.

Mercury noticed Rei's discomfort, and responded by producing yet another glass of black slime, seemingly out of nowhere. With a smile and a flourish, she presented it to Mars. Rei closed her eyes and groaned miserably, causing the others to chuckle.

"Yeah yeah, laugh at my pain." she griped good naturedly, downing the glass with much less fuss. She made a face of disgust and placed the glass on the end table. Everyone seemed to be watching her, waiting for something. It didn't take a genius to figure out what. "So. I suppose you all wanna know what happened." she said at last.

A silent collective nod.

Rei looked around the room, gazing at all the faces of the people she cared about so much. They had all been through so much already, how could she possibly tell them that they would all be dead by the end of the month? She just had no idea on how to proceed, and to be honest, it was making her feel quite ill.

Luna hopped up onto the bed beside her, and placed a paw on her leg. "Whatever it is Rei, we can deal with it together."

Mars gave her a grateful smile, and took a deep breath for inner strength. "I ran into a scout, one of Beryl's men. It had attacked a peasant, and killed him. I was going to just destroy the beast, but it's uniform caught my eye."

"Using standard Martian practices, I questioned him." she paused at this point, unsure on how to continue. "He uh, saw it would be in his best interest to cooperate, I got careless, and he got in a lucky shot, but not before he informed me that Queen Beryl is launching a massive attack against our kingdom, on the night of Serenity's ball."

Everyone gasped.

"Are you sure?" Luna asked, worry evident on her face.

"Yeah. To back it up, I had a vision about it the night before I questioned the scout." Rei replied, a light tinge coloring her cheeks as she recalled what else she had done that night. _'Damn drugs. I feel like I'm ready to float away. I need to focus.' _"It's not pretty, and I'm sure at least one of us doesn't make it through." Mars looked at Ami as she spoke, and Jupiter moved to stand beside her protectively, laying a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently.

Venus frowned, her leader mode kicking in high gear. "There have been rumors about an attack for awhile, but no one was able to confirm or deny. This means that crazy witch had all this time, years for all we know, to build her damn army..."

"And we get eighteen days." Jupiter finished quietly.

"The kingdom will be finished..." Artemis murmured.

"Artemis! Don't say that!" Ami cried angrily.

Mars had to fight the insane urge to laugh hysterically. They did seem rather screwed when you looked at it that way. Why was everything so funny all of a sudden?

"What about the other Earthlings?" Serenity asked quietly.

Everyone understood what she meant immediately.

"I don't know." Minako replied honestly, "But I will tell you this. Here on out, we're on lockdown. No Earthlings in, no Earthlings out. We could round up and question the ones that are still here, however. May prove useful."

"Oooh, can I question Endymion?" Mars asked enthusiastically.

The other soldiers eyed her strangely.

"It's the drugs." Mercury whispered helpfully.

"Ah." Venus said, nodding in understanding. She looked back at Mars. "No. You may not. I've seen the results of your questioning methods." she smirked.

Serenity turned to Mars, a look of horror on her face.

"Hey! I wouldn't hurt him!" she cried in defense. _'Much.'_

"We need a plan." Jupiter said seriously. "But first, we need to tell the Queen."

The group fell into a deadly silence.


	7. Shadow of a Doubt

----------------

16 days

----------------

"Don't you find this to be rather tiresome?"

Rei spun on her heels, trying in vain to find the speaker. Darkness surrounded her. A bottomless emptiness. She felt like she was drowning.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she growled, drawing her sword. "Show yourself!"

"So quick to resort to violence." the voice goaded. "And you call yourself a champion of justice?"

"Yeah. Pretty easy to taunt me when you won't face me." Mars snapped, her anger building rapidly.

"But this is far more entertaining! I like seeing your true colors." a female's voice, and very familiar. Rei knew the speaker, but it was almost as if a fog was clouding her mind, preventing her from recalling the knowledge.

The warrior gritted her teeth. She had no idea how she got here, but she wanted out now.

"True colors? Tch. You don't know the first thing about me." Bravado. Always the best way to go in an unknown situation.

"Oh, but I do Mars. I know all about you. I know how trapped you feel in your own skin. How does it feel, knowing you have no control over your life?"

"I have control." Mars replied confidently. "I choose my own path, and no cowardly phantom is going to convince me otherwise."

"Is that so? They're going to die, you know. All of them. You can't stop it, and you can't save them. How is that having any sort of control? Face it. Fate owns you."

Mars felt her blood pulsing hotly in her veins. Her heart hammered violently in her chest, threatening to burst out. "Oh come on!" she cried angrily. "Don't sulk around the back door. Charge right through the front! Tell me what you want, so I can hurry up and kill you!"

"I just want to talk. No need to get so bloodthirsty." a mocking tone. Mars felt like screaming in frustration.

"So talk already! Who the hell are you?"

"In good time Rei. You never answered my question. How do you have any sort of control? What do you plan to do?"

"Defeat the enemy, and protect what I have to! My power is my control!" she replied.

"Really? You honestly think that you, and the rest of the little soldiers, can defeat the enemy? Let me show you something. I think you'll like it."

The darkness surrounding Rei vanished, and she found herself on a vast hilltop, over looking the kingdom. It was a dark night, and the palace was lit up in all it's glory. She could tell from the music carried to her on the wind that the ball was well underway.

The ground under her begin to rumble and shake violently. She staggered helplessly, trying to remain on her feet. The sky exploded above her, and for a brief moment the entire land, as far as her eye could see, was bathed in an unearthly purple light.

She spun around on shaky legs to see what had caused the eerie explosion, and fell to her knees. An army, larger than she could ever imagine, stretched across the horizon, rushing towards her. '_Millions. There are millions of them_.' her mind whispered in horror.

Demons, in all shapes in sizes. Claws, swords, fangs, horns, clubs. It was as though the gates of hell had opened, and spilled it's contents in her backyard. They were all charging straight towards her, and the palace.

"Well?" the voice prodded. "Why are you just sitting there? Stand up! Draw your blade! Fight them!"

"I can't." Mars whispered. "I can't fight them all."

"You have to! They are coming! They'll run you down, and take everything you love! Why aren't you fighting? Come on!! GET UP!!"

"It's impossible!!" Rei screamed, beating her fists into the ground. "We can't beat that!"

"Exactly!!"

She was thrown back into the darkness, confidence stripped bare.

"I really enjoyed this little chat Mars. We'll do this again soon, I promise."

"Wait!" Mars cried, her world exploding in a flash of white light.

"Wait for what? Are you alright Rei? Maybe we should take you back to the infirmary."

"Huh?!" Rei found herself seated at the long marble table of the war room, surrounded by her fellow soldiers.

"I said, are you feeling ok?" Venus repeated carefully. "You've been spacing out all day."

"Spacing?" Mars repeated dumbly.

"Yeah. Daydreaming, you know? Your eyes were wide open."

Rei pressed a shaking hand to her face and covered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I think it's the stress." she said at last, the words sounding hollow even to her own ears. The muscles in her bad shoulder crawled, and the unpleasant feeling ran all the way into her fingers.

"Maybe you should just rest for today." Jupiter said gently.

"No, no, I'm ok. We need to do this quickly." Mars replied with a shake of her head. "So what do we have?"

Mercury sighed wearily and consulted the tablets spread across the table in front of her. "If you recall, most of our allies have been swallowed up by the Dark Kingdom already. The parliament spent so much time arguing amongst themselves, we were never able to send help in time. A few of the remaining countries on Earth that have yet to swear allegiance to Beryl have offered to send some reinforcements, but that presents two problems."

"Spies?" Makoto asked.

"Yes. It's honestly hard to say for sure who she's reached and who she hasn't." Ami replied.

Mars felt an icy hand grip her heart. She shuddered internally and reached for the glass of Mercury's magical tea, downing it quickly.

"Great." Venus muttered. "The last thing we need is a group of her troops on the inside of our walls. That would be disastrous if we were all run through from behind."

Mercury nodded. "That brings us to issue number two. Even if they were outside of her influence, I honestly don't think the numbers they would send would make a difference, not to mention the fact that they would never make it here on time."

Rei propped her elbows up on the table and laced her fingers together, brow creased in thought. "What about an evacuation?" she suggested quietly.

"Where would we send our people?" Venus replied. "Earth is out of the question."

'_That's right. We can't very well send them to Earth. And all of our home worlds were deemed uninhabitable after the last Great War. Hn. But if it hadn't been for that, our merry little group would have never existed. Damn Fate. I suppose it always gets what it wants, even if it has to kill millions. Makes me wonder what happened in our past lives to push us all together.' _

"True. And even if we sent just the Princess and her mother, the Black Army would hunt them down anyway." Jupiter added, eyes narrowing in disgust.

Mars squeezed her eyes shut. The image of the foul army ran rampant through her mind. They couldn't fight that many alone. No chance in hell. "I can't believe I'm even saying this, but what about surrendering?"

"Surrendering??" Venus cried, leaping to her feet and slamming her fists on the table. "I can't believe I just heard those words come out of your mouth! You, Mars! Of all people!!"

Rei's eyes snapped open, desperate violet meeting Minako's angry blue. "Then what?" she threw back angrily. "We all die? What about the Queen, and the Princess, not to mention all of the innocent people who live here! Do we condemn them to death for the sake of our pride??"

"So we'll just roll over and surrender, and pray they don't kill us all anyway." Venus snapped sarcastically. "Great plan. I'd rather sell my soul to Satan."

"Whoa whoa." Jupiter intervened, holding her hands up. "Lashing out at each other like this is certainly not going to make things any better."

"Jupiter's right." Mercury added. "We're a team, and we need to act like one."

Venus took her seat again, casting a guilty look back at Rei. "Sorry Mars."

"It's ok, I'm sorry too. I just want to get everyone through this. No more death and destruction. We've all seen more than enough." Mars replied quietly.

"That's something we can all agree on." came a silvery voice from the door.

The soldiers quickly sprang to their feet and stood at attention, not having heard the Queen come in. She waved a graceful hand in dismissal and walked past them to take the chair at the head of the table.

"Stop it." she said with a warm smile. "Come, sit down. I think we can discuss this together civilly."

They complied, taking their seats again.

"Much better. Now, I've gone over Mars' report, and I must admit, it does look rather bleak. My concern, of course, is for my daughter and my people. Even with such an advance warning, it looks as though we have no choice but to prepare for a battle on our own soil."

"Now, I want you all to remember that I have faith and trust in you. I know in my heart that no matter what the outcome, you all will do your very best to ensure the safety of that which we all treasure."

"You have all trained the troops to the best of your abilities, and no matter how many demons Beryl brings with her, each single soldier of yours amounts to at least ten of hers. I am confident in them, and in all of you, and I know we will do what we must."

"To add to our strength, I have called on the Outer Soldiers to help us in this battle. They should be arriving very soon, but in the meantime, all I ask is that you continue to guard Serenity." The Queen cast her eyes down to the table. "Please, I want you girls to take some time to enjoy yourselves, and do what you love as well. It will remind you what it is you fight for."

They all nodded in affirmation, and Venus spoke up quietly.

"My Queen, should we warn the people, or at least call off the ball?"

She shook her head, beautiful snow white hair trailing after her. "No. I don't want to cause a panic, and should worst come to worst, I want everyone to have one last golden memory of our kingdom."

The air seemed to have been sucked out of the room, and Mars found it difficult to breathe. The Queen rose to her feet, and the soldiers rose as well. She paused by Rei on her way out, and laid a hand on her wounded shoulder.

"Is it feeling better Mars?" she asked gently.

"Yes, Your Majesty." she replied, bowing her head. Her bad shoulder, however, took this moment to act out. The horrible sensation was back again, causing her arm to twitch.

"Good." the queen said with a gentle smile. A tiny flitter of confusion suddenly ran across her face, and she shook her head slightly.

"My Queen?" Mars asked worriedly.

"It's nothing." she replied, graceful smile returning. "Now, you girls get out of this horribly dark room. It's rather depressing."

-------------------------

By now, night had fallen. As she wandered the courtyard grounds aimlessly, Mars wondered how it was possible for a day to take so long to pass, but be over before she knew it.

"The wonders of borrowed time." she mused aloud, footsteps halting before the massive fountain in the courtyard's center. The statue that stood as the fountain's centerpiece seem to look right through her, stone arms outstretched. _'I've always hated that damn statue. Angel or not, it always looks like it's mocking me.'_ She glared up at the cold stone face and cracked a smile when she realized how ridiculous she must look. "You know, heavy stone wings won't fly." she pointed out.

The angel, of course, had no reply.

"Yeah. That'll teach you to be all high and mighty with me, won't it?"

She dropped her gaze to the crystal clear pool of water, studying her dark reflection as it danced and wavered on the water's surface.

"And what would you do if you were me?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, I don't know, probably stop talking to inanimate objects." came the snarky reply.

"Huh!?" Rei's eyes snapped back up to the statue, but it was still cold and unmoving.

Musical laughter from her left caused Mars to groan and cover her face with her hand. "And how long have you been there?" she grumbled quietly.

"Hmm, long enough for you to convince me that Mercury needs to take the magical tea away." Minako replied with a giggle.

"Hn."

"Oh, come on, don't be all embarrassed." she said with a smile, pulling Rei's hand away from her face. "This _**is**_ your fault you know. Some warrior you are! I was able to walk all the way over here and _**stand **_next to you, and you didn't even notice!"

"Can we blame it on the drugs?" Mars asked, shamefaced.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Pyro."

Rei rolled her eyes and let out sigh of frustration. "Why me?" she asked the stars overhead.

"Because, I just couldn't have this much fun with someone else. Face it. It's destiny." Venus said with a solemn nod.

"You know, I really am starting to think that I did something horrid in a past life." Mars grumbled.

"Worse than talking to inanimate objects?" Minako asked in a serious tone.

Rei shot her a warning look. "If you don't watch it, I'll commit something much worse than that right here."

"Really?" the blonde asked with a wink. "And here I was, trying so hard to get your attention. And to think! All I had to do this _whole _time was ask!"

"Ugh. You're impossible." Mars growled, crossing her arms and trying to look angry.

"You know, you are really failing at the whole tough warrior act." Venus said with giggle. "It's hard to take you seriously when your face is all red like that."

"Whatever."

"Oh stop it." Minako replied with a warm smile, slipping her arm through Rei's. "Come on, sit down with me for a bit."

Mars found herself grinning like a fool, letting the goddess of love lead her by the arm to the white stone edging of the fountain's wall. Venus sat, and pulled the fire soldier down next to her, backs to the water.

Minako shyly removed her arm from Rei's and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Rei's heart thundered nervously inside her chest when the blonde scooted close and rested her head against the raven haired woman's shoulder.

'_What's wrong with me? We've done a lot more than this together, so why am I nervous now? Maybe I should say something.? But what? This would be a good time to apologize, no one else in sight.'_

Try as she might, Mars just couldn't find the words. Luckily, Venus broke the ice for both of them.

"I really am sorry for what I said in the war room Rei, I know you're just worried."

"Don't be. We're all stressed, and it was a pretty stupid suggestion in the first place. I didn't mean to snap back like I did." Mars replied quietly. "Besides. I have a lot more to apologize for than you do."

"What, like you running off and picking a fight, then nearly bleeding to death in some dark alley while everyone is worried sick? Then we find you, all battered and bloody, so weak that you sleep for three days, and that worries everyone more! Because if that's the case, don't apologize. I'll have you know I wasn't worried at all." Venus huffed.

Rei chuckled lightly at her theatrics, and Minako relished the sound, as well as the gentle reverberations with her being so close to the Martian.

"Oh, ok. As long as that's cleared up." Rei said with a grin, sliding an arm around the blonde's waist. She grew serious again, and kissed the top of Minako's head. "I am sorry about that, by the way."

"You should be." the blonde replied, no theatrics this time.

Mars swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "I also wanted to apologize for the way I treated you that morning. I guess there's a good reason that I always drink alone. You just...threw me off."

"I think that's putting it mildly."

"Very true." Rei replied. "After I had remembered what happened, I wanted nothing more than to talk to you about it." she laughed now, recalling that horrid day. "I guess I couldn't even do that right."

"Well, that wasn't entirely your fault." Venus said lightly. "I'm willing to let that part slide."

Mars laughed again. "Lucky me."

"Damn right, lucky you!"

Mars shook her head and rose to her feet, pulling the blonde up with her. Minako tilted her head to one side and looked at Rei curiously, obviously confused. Rei found herself smiling as she pulled Venus closer and kissed her gently.

It was amazing how different a kiss could be. Mars found herself addicted to the goddess' sweet lips, captured by the feelings she discovered in them. For a moment, she could almost see what life could have been like if they had met in a different time, as different people, without a war looming over them, threatening to take away what she had just recently found.

It was with great reluctance that she finally let the blonde go, and broke the kiss. Minako paused for a moment, breathless, her face slightly flushed.

"You ok?" Rei asked gently.

"Yeah." the blonde breathed out slowly. "I'm just thinking it's a shame that I have to take my post."

"You are the leader. You need to set an example." Mars replied with a teasing smile.

"Yeah." Minako murmured, still a little thrown off.

"Just promise me something." Rei said, tone turning serious.

"Hm?"

"Don't go hitting your head on any walls today. Doesn't look good for us when our leader does such things."

"Ahh! Rei! Like I'd take that from someone who talks to statues!" she cried, blushing a rather adorable shade of pink..

Mars burst into peals of laughter, and Minako took it as her opportunity to push the fire soldier into the fountain.

Rei coughed and sputtered, floundering about as she tried to push herself back up into a sitting position. Then again, it was rather hard to look dignified when she was sitting in waist deep water, surrounded by little goldfish.

"And that is why you don't mess with the Goddess of Love, baby!" Minako proclaimed victoriously with a wink, blowing a kiss at the flustered soldier of Mars. With that, she was gone, and Rei was left with the fish.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded, as a particularly fat one swam past her elbow. Try as she might, she just couldn't get angry.

She smiled and shook sopping wet hair out of her eyes. _'It's amazing really, how she can make me feel so alive, despite everything around us. I don't think I've smiled this much in forever.'_


	8. Nintey Nine Problems

---------------

Rei pushed open the doors to the soldier's quarters, wincing at the loud racket her wet boots made on the hard marble floor. She pushed her sopping wet hair back out of her eyes and winced again when her shoulder reminded her it wasn't quite healed yet.

She laughed in spite of herself, but it died away when she saw an anxious looking Jupiter leaning on the wall outside the door to her room.

"What's up?" she asked quietly, trying to ignore the sinking, queasy feeling that settled in her stomach.

Jupiter eyed her up and down curiously. "What happened to you?"

"Got into an argument with some goldfish."

"Oh. Who won?" the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The goldfish. Now tell me, why are you waiting for me? You an Ami get into a squabble?"

Surprisingly, Jupiter blushed at the mention of her blue haired lover.

"No, nothing like that." she stammered. "But, there is something I think you should see."

"Do I have time to change my clothes?" Mars asked with a grin. "I'd really hate to start rusting."

"Trust me. You'll wanna see this now."

---------------

Mars followed the soldier of thunder through the palace, and down the stairs to the lowest level. Her confusion really began to mount when Makoto paused before the door to the laundry cellar, resting her hand on the doorknob.

"What's this all about? Am I gonna get ambushed?" Rei asked suspiciously.

"No worries. No goldfish in here." Jupiter said with a nervous grin, pushing the door open.

"What the hell?? Why is he tied up!?" Mars cried, eyeing the bound and gagged Endymion.

Mercury was standing in front of the Earth Prince, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She turned slightly when she heard Rei's voice, and looked her over strangely.

"What happened to you?"

"Long story." Mars grumbled. "Will somebody tell me what's going on?"

"While on patrol, we found him acting suspiciously in the palace gardens." Jupiter said with a sigh.

Endymion struggled against his ropes and tried to say something around the cloth stuffed in his mouth, but was silenced with a glare from the ice soldier.

"He claimed he was just trying to see Serenity, but we didn't think that involved counting the number of guards and entrances posted in that general vicinity of the palace, especially with her room being way on the other side." Mercury added.

Mars raised her eyebrows and turned to the prince. His eyes bugged out of his head and he began to struggle against his binds desperately.

"That is highly suspicious." Rei agreed, kneeling in front of him. She took the prince's chin between her thumb and forefinger and stared him down. "You listen here. I'm going to remove the cloth, and you have exactly twenty seconds to tell me why I shouldn't flame broil you where you sit. You try to escape, or call for someone, and I will fry your sorry carcass. We clear?"

He nodded slowly, blue eyes wide.

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." she said with a grin, roughly yanking the gag out of his mouth.

"Are all of you crazy??" he cried out, eyes darting wildly from one soldier to the other.

"That was a good waste of four seconds." Mars warned, holding up her hand.

He gaped openly. "W...wait!"

"Yes?" Rei asked, letting her energy pulse into her hand. Tiny orange and red flames danced across her fingers.

"I'm not doing anything wrong! I wouldn't hurt her!"

Mars turned slightly towards Jupiter. "Does that sound like something a spy would say?"

Jupiter nodded solemnly.

Endymion shook his head rapidly to the contrary.

"Two against one. I think we win." the fire soldier said gravely. The flames in her hand grew a little higher. "Tell me why you'd want to scope out that particular end of the palace."

"I...I was trying to find a way out." he cried weakly.

"A way out?"

He nodded. "When the fighting broke out, I was going to get her out of here. No offense, but you guys don't stand a chance."

Rei's eye twitched visibly and both Jupiter and Mercury took a step back.

"He's not very bright is he?' The thunder soldier whispered to Ami.

Mercury shook her head slowly.

Mars sprung forward, grasping the man by the front of his shirt. "And what would make you such an expert? Got something to tell me?"

He paled. "Her army is massive. Unstoppable. I..I couldn't watch my people die..."

"That's what I thought." She released a tired sigh. "Great. Just great."

He swallowed hard, and looked Mars in the eye. "I had to. With her, it's join or die. My people don't deserve that." he paused, and licked his lips. "She promised that if I would help, no harm would come to the Princess, that she would be safe."

"And you bought that?" Mars snapped.

"What would you do?" he demanded. "I know you! You'd do the same thing! I do love her! It's the only thing I could think of!"

Rei couldn't help herself anymore. Before anyone could stop her, she rammed her flaming fist into his jaw. He winced, but refused to cry out.

"Listen to me." she whispered dangerously. "The only reason I let you live now is because she likes you, and killing you would make her cry. I hate seeing her cry."

She threw him back down and sighed in disgust. "The whole time." she growled angrily. "I _knew_ we couldn't trust him."

"What should we do with him?" Jupiter asked quietly.

"I say we turn him over to the queen. He may be able to provide us with more information regarding the enemy. He's bound to have seen her armies in action down on Earth." suggested Mercury.

Jupiter nodded in agreement. "Any help we can get would be a great asset at this point, even if it comes from a dog."

Endymion looked away.

"Well, shall we escort him to the holding cell?" she asked cheerily, cracking her knuckles.

"Let's." Mars said with a dark grin. "Before I get really angry."

Jupiter and Mars hoisted Endymion to his feet, and he gazed at Mercury sadly. "I hope you all find a way. She's a monster. I did what I thought would save the most lives."

"Yeah. Like yours." Jupiter muttered, cramming the gag back in his mouth.

Rei peered over the top of the prince's head. "Makoto, did I ever tell you that you are my hero?"

"I get that a lot." she replied with a cheeky smile, 'accidentally' elbowing the prince in the ribs.

"You are incorrigible." Mercury sighed.

"Yeah, but that's why you love me." Makoto said with a smirk.

------------------

Rei sighed wearily and threw herself down on top of her bed. It had been a long day, and she had exactly one hour to get some sleep before taking her post.

'_Tomorrow never comes until it's too late.'_

The crawling feeling returned. By now the uncomfortable sensation had made it's way into her neck, stretching up into her skull like cold fingers. Mars made a mental note to get it checked out after her shift, and tried desperately to think of something else until it passed.

She gazed up at the ceiling blankly, Endymion's words echoing in her head.

"I wouldn't do the same thing. I'd find a way." she whispered aloud.

"I see. Now you're a _hypocritical _bloodthirsty savage." came a mocking reply.

Mars flung herself bolt upright, only to find herself back in the damned darkness.

"You." she spat out. "What do you want now?"

"I told you Rei. I enjoy talking with you."

"Yeah, well screw off. I'm not talkative today."

"Ah, but you were so full of self righteous convictions earlier. What happened?"

"Burn in hell. I don't play mind games." Mars growled.

"No? Maybe you should tell that to the pretty little blonde..."

Rei's face curled into a snarl. "You leave her out of this!!"

"Oh, no vehement declarations to the contrary? I must not be wrong."

"Shut the hell up!" Mars thundered.

"Or what?"

Mars didn't answer. She just held out her hands, fully intent on torching whoever her 'guest' was. Nothing happened. She dropped her hands down to her sides, defeated.

"Figures." the fire soldier spat.

"You're in my domain now Mars. I control everything."

"You wanna talk? Talk. But let me warn you. I'll get to the bottom of all of this, and when I do, you're gonna talk to my fists."

"I look forward to that day, I really do. But in the meantime, tell me something. Why beat up on Prince Charming? All he did was carry out the suggestion you put forward yourself. You wanted to surrender, but yet you pound on him for doing the exact same thing."

A horrendous knot formed in Rei's stomach. "How do you know all of this?"

Her visitor laughed. "The killer in me is the killer in you."

"Argh! I have no idea what you're talking about!!" Mars cried angrily.

"You only need to understand one thing Mars. To get what you want, you'll have to work with me."

"I don't want anything from you!" Rei threw back defiantly.

"But you want those you treasure to survive, right? That means you want something from me."

"Who the hell are you?"

"All in good time little soldier. For now, think about what I've said. You're so quick to pass judgment on others, but refuse to place judgment on yourself. Nobody's right if everybody's wrong."

Mars had no reply.

"We'll meet again."

Rei's head swam hazily. When she could focus her eyes again, she found herself back in her room, exhausted and confused.

'_That's it. It's official. I've lost my mind.' _

A quick glance to the crystal on her end table confirmed what she had already guessed. It was time for her shift.

'_You've got to be kidding me. I was off in la-la land for an entire hour? It felt like minutes. Looks like I'm running on no sleep today. This has really got to stop. I'm not even sure if I should dare mention it to the others. They may very well have me committed.'_

She rubbed swollen, tired eyes roughly with her hands and pushed herself off of the bed, stumbling sleepily to her closet.

'_Ugh. A bath would be wonderful, but I'm out of time. Time, time, time. It's always time. Running out of time, killing time, there's not even enough time in a day anymore. I have half a mind to punch Pluto. It's gotta be her fault somehow.'_

She yanked a fresh uniform off of a shelf, identical to the half dozen below it. _'What I wouldn't give to take a vacation. But who has the time?' _she mused darkly as she quickly changed clothes.

After donning her armor, and taking five minutes to at least wash up a bit in her water basin, she headed out the door.

'_Plus side to all of this? I get to see Venus for at least a minute or so. Funny. Since when did that become the highlight of my day?'_

Mars recalled the evenings events and frowned slightly. _'I wonder what her response to the prince's situation will be? Even worse, what will Serenity say?'_

The thought of her Princess brought conflicting emotions. She recalled her conversation with Artemis that seemed like an eternity ago. She had sworn up and down that she didn't want to lie to Venus by promising things she couldn't give her. On the other hand, with what seemed to be the world's end breathing down their necks, it didn't seem like it mattered anymore. Mars couldn't help but wonder just how much of it was a lie anymore anyway. In just a few short days, Venus had completely wormed her way into the fire soldier's heart, and she still wasn't sure how she did it.

'_I'll have to remember to talk to Jupiter. She and Mercury seem to be doing just fine. I wonder where Venus and I are even going with this. But again, it raises the question, with time running out, does it even matter?'_

She thought back to the words her Queen had said, and the amount of confidence she had placed in the soldiers.

'_Maybe it does matter. Maybe by some act of God, we'll win...'_

But Mars just couldn't shake the feeling of doubt that crept into her heart, and the words of her horrid guest haunted her as she made her way to Princess' quarters.

'_Nobody's right if everybody's wrong.'_

Was the queen wrong?

'_Ok. No more thinking. Thinking is bad.'_

Thankfully, a pair of hands slid over her eyes from behind, pulling her out of her dark thoughts.

"Guess who?" teased the golden voice Rei was beginning to feel lost without.

"Hm. Must be Satan again. I keep telling you boss, I'll have those orphan souls to you by week's end..."

"Ugh! Mars, you're really messed up! What exactly did your parents do to you?" Venus cried in mock horror, removing her hands so Rei could face her.

"I'm not sure. I was shipped here when I was five, so I'd say the people I grew up around are to blame." Mars brought a finger to the side of her face, as though deep in thought. "Hey! Wait a minute! Didn't I grow up with you?"

Venus stuck out her tongue in reply and shoved the warrior playfully. "Don't blame all your childhood traumas on me!"

"Why not? Seems every time I was in trouble, you were always standing right next to me."

Minako let out a musical laugh. "I told you Martians were dumb. If you wanted to stand there and take the fall for me, that is no fault of mine."

"Oh really?" Rei questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you were very good at persuading people to do your evil bidding."

"Only dumb Martians." Venus replied with a grin.

"Whatever." Mars growled, pulling the blonde in for a kiss.

"Well, this is new." Serenity exclaimed from the doorway of her bedroom.

Minako and Rei sprang apart, blushing profusely. Serenity laughed and waved her hand.

"Oh come on guys, it doesn't bother me. It makes me happy to see that you've both found someone to care about, especially you, Rei. I was worried for the longest time..."

Mars muttered something incomprehensible and stared at the floor.

"Well, some things never change." the Princess giggled.

Rei shook her head. "We can all laugh at me later, but I kinda have something important to tell the two of you."

"What, you're getting married?" Serenity teased.

'_Why me?' _Mars questioned for about the 4,268th time in her life. If any more blood went to her face, the rest of her body would cease to function.

Minako looked as though she were no better off than Rei.

"Ok, ok. Serious now." The princess promised, once her laughter died away.

Rei took a deep breath and steeled herself. "Uh, it's actually about Endymion..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note - Yeah, don't ask me where this chapter came from. I _like_ Mamoru. I really do. I guess it was just the culmination of a really frustrating work day. I came home, sat at my desk, and my little cute Tuxedo Mask plushie was smiling all cute like at me. I guess somewhere in my warped little brain, deep down, I decided my horrid day was all his fault.**


	9. Shameless

-------------------

15 days

------------------

"Wait, you did _what??_" the princess cried.

Mars cringed. _'Yeah, some brave warrior.'_

Venus shook her head. "I can't believe this..."

"Look, we had to. He's obviously a threat." Rei grumbled defensively.

"Well, I know he seemed kind of daft sometimes, but really..." a confused Venus replied, eyes wide.

The princess shot an accusing glare in Mars' direction, and the fire soldier actually took a step back.

"Hey," Rei held up her hands, as though she were calling a truce. "It's our job to protect you., and that means retaining crazy boyfriends who work for the dark side."

Minako winced. "Dumb move, Mars."

Rei threw a panicked look in her direction and took another step back, still holding up her hands, as if to ward off Serenity's blows.

"Crazy boyfriend??" the princess cried. "It sounds like he just wants to protect me too!"

"By siding with Beryl??" an incredulous Mars questioned.

"That's enough." Venus declared, stepping between the two. "I'll question him myself, and get to the bottom of this, but from the initial sounds of things, our crew did the right thing. Honestly, Princess, please take a moment to think about it clearly. He's on the side of the woman who intends to destroy us all."

Serenity's eyes welled up with tears, and Rei felt a sharp pang of guilt in her chest. _'Great. This whole time, all I wanted to do was make sure she didn't get hurt. Complete Mission Failure.'_

The princess stood stock still, head bowed. She clenched her fists so tightly, she was visibly shaking.

Minako rested a hand on her shoulder, and spoke gently this time. "Hey, why don't you sit down for a few minuets? It's a big shock to get first thing in the morning."

"Sorry." Mars muttered quietly. "I just figured telling you myself was better than finding out at an inopportune moment, from some insensitive fool."

Venus raised an eyebrow, and cast a sardonic look in the fire soldier's direction.

Rei shrugged helplessly.

"You know," Serenity murmured, gaining their attention again. "I didn't love him. Everything is always duty, duty, duty. I'm sure you all understand what that's like. I'm supposed to choose a good, strong husband, so we can carry on my family's line. All the other suitors just seemed so wrong for me, you know? But he seemed so warm, and kind."

She raised her head, and the tears running down her cheeks hit Mars where it hurt. "I wanted it to work. I thought I could even grow to love him. I did honestly care about him, but it doesn't matter now, does it? It's all going to end anyway."

"Princess, please don't say that..." Mars tried weakly, voice cracking.

Serenity shook her head sadly. "I was trying so hard to make my mother happy. I thought this huge ugly mess would go away if I ignored it long enough. But even he was on Beryl's side, fooling us all. It's my fault really, I should have seen through it sooner."

"It's not your fault." Minako proclaimed fiercely. "Don't try to pin the blame on yourself. He deceived us too. As your guardians, we failed you. We're supposed to weed out people like him."

"What...what if the information he gained through being with me causes our downfall?" Serenity whispered tearfully.

"First of all, he's in our custody. That means he has no chance to report what he's found. Secondly, as long as there's a breath left in me, the only downfall that's going to occur is Beryl's." Mars replied.

Serenity smiled weakly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Really?"

"Of course." Venus said with a grin.

"Alright." the princess replied quietly. "I'm going to just freshen up before I go see my mother. And...I'm sorry I yelled at you Rei."

"It's ok." Mars smiled. "I'll be out here waiting, whenever you're ready. Take your time, ok?"

Serenity nodded, and slipped back into her room. Once the door clicked shut, Venus let out an exhausted sigh.

"Sounds like you had an exciting night, Pyro."

"Yeah." Mars muttered tiredly, rubbing her eyes.

"You ok?" Venus questioned softly. "You look like you didn't get any sleep. Anything you want to talk about?"

Rei almost told the blonde everything, right then and there. The creepy voice, the horrible crawling feeling, and her god awful doubts, but her brain went into self defensive lockdown.

"I'm ok. Just thinking about Pretty Boy."

Venus chuckled darkly. "Yeah, I guess I should have let you beat him up, way back when."

"Could've should've would've." Mars grumbled. stifling a yawn.

"You sure you're going to be ok? I can pull a double if you want." the blonde said with a warm smile, lightly resting a hand on Rei's waist.

"No, I'm ok. You should get some rest yourself, and besides, we'll need you to question the prince. If I go near him again, they'll need tweezers to pick up the pieces."

Minako nodded slightly, and brought her eyes up to meet Rei's. "You know, I've always wondered how someone so sweet could be so violent."

"The princess is violent?"

Venus rolled her eyes.

"What?" Mars asked, feigning ignorance.

The blonde turned her features down into a rather serious expression, and crossed her arms. "Whatever. It's nothing." she replied in a flat monotone, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'm gonna go punch some random guy in the head now, and then sit all alone and think dark thoughts."

A smile tugged at the corners of the raven-haired woman's mouth. "You're doing it all wrong you know. You have to get drunk first. And besides, it's pretty rare for me to punch random people in the head."

Venus shook her head with a laugh. "I'll work on it."

"See that you do." Rei replied with a smirk. "Now you better get going. I've got a job to do, and I can't do it with you distracting me."

"Really can't have that now." the blonde whispered, pushing up slightly on her toes to kiss the fire soldier. "Can I see you later?"

Mars tried to control the dopey grin that spread across her face, but failed miserably. "Of course."

Minako slid out of Rei's arms and took off down the hall, turning back briefly to blow her a kiss, leaving the fire soldier alone to deal with a rather distraught Serenity.

Mars rested a hand on her hip and scratched the back of her neck absently. She had the sneaking suspicion that it was going to be another long day.

As if to confirm her suspicions, a timid princess stepped back out into the hall, and cast a guilty look over at her bodyguard. "Would it be alright if you took me to see him?"

Rei crossed her arms, and gave the princess a weary glare. "Are you kidding me?"

"Please Rei? Only for a moment. I think it will help if I hear it from his own lips."

Mars groaned and clapped a hand to her forehead. "You _know_ that's a bad idea Serenity."

"Please Rei?" she tried again, resting a gentle hand across her soldier's forearm, and batting her eyelashes.

"I hate blondes." Mars grumbled in defeat. "You're going to get me in trouble, you know that?"

"Thank you Mars." The princess breathed thankfully, wrapping her arms around Rei and hugging her tight.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Let's get this over with." the warrior mumbled, shaking her princess off. She didn't like the surge of conflicting feelings it gave her, but chalked it up to exhaustion.

-------------------

Rei pushed open the door to the brig and stepped aside, allowing her princess to enter. She cast one more worried look down the hall to be sure they hadn't been seen, and shut the door firmly behind her. Serenity hovered near, obviously nervous about being in such a place.

"Hey, no worries Princess. He's the only _criminal _in here."

"Do you have to say it like that?" Serenity asked in a hurt tone.

"Hey, I just want you to remember that fact." Mars stressed gently. "Well, if you want to see him, he's in the cell at the far end. I'll give you a few minuets, and then we're out of here. Understood?"

"Yes. Thank you again."

Rei nodded gruffly and stepped aside, allowing Serenity to pass. The warrior's eyes closed involuntarily as the scent that was unmistakably her princess invaded her senses, sweetly intoxicating.

'_Now where the hell did THAT come from? Never bothered me before.'_

The princess paused before Endymion's cell, shaking hands wrapping around iron bars. The prince was asleep, curled up on a corner of his lumpy mattress on the hard stone floor.

Mars gritted her teeth as another stab of guilt pricked her heart. Serenity looked like an angel in her pure white dress, so horribly out of place is this dark room. Her thoughts drifted to Venus, and an image of her beautiful smile and honey blonde hair caused the soldier to suck in her breath.

'_Yup. I'm crazy. Lost my marbles, I have.'_

"Endymion?"

Her charge's voice brought her back to reality. The prince stirred slightly, and raised a sleep tousled head towards the bars.

"Serenity?" he murmured in disbelief, scrambling to his feet. "Is it really you? You didn't bring that crazy Mars here, did you?"

Rei smirked and stepped out of the shadows, sliding her sword between the bars. "That's as close as you get lover boy."

The princess cast a disapproving look in her direction, and Mars shook her head. "Sorry Princess, but I'm standing firm on this one. I don't want him near you."

"What happened to your face?" Serenity asked the Earth Prince, though the look on her face said she could already guess.

Endymion eyed Mars and her blade warily. "I fell."

Rei chuckled internally. She was kind of glad she hadn't killed him now. He was rather entertaining.

"You burned yourself by falling?" she questioned dubiously.

'_Uh oh. Busted._'

"I don't think that's why you're here." he muttered weakly.

'_Good answer.'_

"I want to hear the truth, by your own admission."

He swallowed painfully, and jerked his head in Rei's direction. "She may be crazy, but she's not a liar. I'm sure she has told you the truth."

"So you are working for Queen Beryl?" Serenity asked softly.

"Yes." he admitted quietly. "I only wanted to save you from certain death, which is what these people are guiding you towards."

Mars banged her gauntlet on the bars as a warning, but Serenity stilled her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me the truth. Are things honestly that hopeless on Earth?" the princess questioned.

"The bodies of the rebels line the streets of every city." the prince answered darkly. "I didn't want to see the same thing happen to you."

The princess shook her head, and an honest smile lit her face. "My warriors will protect me, and even if the worst should occur, I would rather die free than live as a haunted prisoner."

"You say that now," he whispered, eyes taking a far off look, "but when you see her armies slaying everything, including women and children, you tend to tilt your view. You want to condemn people to death?"

"Death sounds better than the life you've described." she replied, turning slightly towards her bodyguard. "I'm done here."

Mars nodded and sheathed her blade.

"One more thing Endymion." The princess added quietly. "I'm so thankful now that I didn't fall in love with you. I don't think I could love someone who completely gives up all will to fight for what's true and just."

Rei turned her head, violet eyes following her princess out of the room. Once the door to the brig had been shut behind her, Mars turned her gaze back towards the defeated prince.

"I don't even know why I'm saying this, but I'm sorry I hit you so hard."

Endymion nodded blankly in comprehension. "I'm sorry too, for all the choices I made."

"Can't help you with that."

His eyes met hers. "Don't let her die. Please. It would kill me to know I turned traitor for nothing."

"As long as my heart beats, I'll protect her." Mars promised.

"It's funny." Endymion mumbled faintly. "But I think you and I have a true understanding. I think you love her even more than I do."

"It's impossible not to love her. All you can do is stand back, and try not to drown." Mars admitted with a sad smile.

He nodded. "I know it's asking a lot, and it will sound crazy, but I have one more favor to beg of you."

"Which is?"

"It will be hard, almost impossible at times, but try your best to ignore the helper."

"The helper?" she repeated, obviously confused.

"It starts in your head. Whispering things, promising to help. Drives you mad. You can't sleep, can't eat. Before long, you find yourself doing things you never would have imagined, and you can't stop."

Mars felt her blood run cold.

"It feeds on your thoughts." he continued darkly. "It dangles what you love, or want, right in front of you. It forces you to try and grab it, and then everything goes horribly wrong. It's strange, but since the lot of you threw me in here, the whispers have all but gone away."

His eyes met hers again. "This isn't some excuse either. I'm trying to warn you. You seem loyal, and devoted. Don't lose that, no matter what. It likes to strip that away from you, because then it has you."

Rei had the horrible feeling that she was already familiar with the prince's phantom. The blood rushed in her ears, and she had to fight the urge to run. She shook her head roughly to clear her mind.

"I believe you." she replied faintly, focusing her energy inward to steel herself. "I do believe you. But I can't let you out of here. I'm sorry. I will however speak to the Queen on your behalf, and ask for mercy."

"I don't want mercy. I want you all to live."

----------------------------

"Everything alright?" the princess asked when Mars finally emerged from the prisoner's quarters.

"Yeah." the fire soldier lied, forcing a smile. "I was just seeing if he knew anything that could be of use to us."

"You didn't hit him again did you?" Serenity asked disapprovingly.

"No." Rei muttered, looking thoroughly chastised.

"Even though he may deserve a good thumping, having compassion is an important aspect, even for a soldier like yourself."

Mars smiled. "And when did you become so wise?"

Serenity smiled warmly in return. "When the four of you entered our lives. Now, I think I'm going to visit with my mother. Shall we go?"

"Lead the way, Princess."

----------------------------

Mars paced the hallway outside the door to the throne room anxiously as she awaited her princess' return, mind racing.

'_The helper huh? At least now I know what to call her, should she try and make an appearance again. It makes sense now. She showed me that horrible vision of the Dark Army, and I responded by suggesting we surrender. She knew I'd do that.'_

The warrior paused briefly, resting her hand on the grand door of the throne room. Her mind flashed back to her nightmare, and the scene that awaited her and Jupiter in it. She still couldn't shake the image of Mercury, battered and bloody, slumped against the wall, with what looked to be thousands of lacerations all over her slim form.

Mars let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

'_Fifteen days. That's all supposed to come to pass beyond this door in just fifteen days.'_

The two guards posted on either side of the door eyed her strangely, and cast nervous glances between themselves.

One of them finally got the courage to ask, "Uh...sir? Are you alright?"

Mars turned towards him abruptly. "You. You're in my squad, right?"

"Yes sir."

It took her a moment, but recognized him. It was the soldier from her dream, the poor bastard hanging from the wall by an enemy's spear.

She righted herself. "Do you have a family?"

"Yes sir. A wife. Two small children."

She nodded. "Starting tomorrow, I want you stationed near the Queen's quarters. I also want you to take leave the night of the Princess' ball."

He blinked. "Sir?"

"A family man needs an extra night off every now and then." she allowed herself a small grin. "Think of it as some compassion."

"Thank you, sir."

The door to the throne room eased open at last, and Serenity reemerged. "Wait long?"

Mars smiled. "No, my Princess."

"Good. Now how about some fresh air? I think I'd like to watch the other soldiers train for a bit. Maybe I would even be privileged enough to see one of your infamous sparring matches?"

----------------------------


	10. Summer Skin

-----------------------

'_I don't recall a single care, just greenery and humid air.'_

----------------------

"I knew it was going to be one of those days." Mars said with a grin, cracking her neck.

Venus flashed her a dazzling smile from across the large ring of turf, marked off with a white outline. "You know Pyro, I'm not going to go easy on you."

"I would certainly hope not. It would take all the fun away." Rei replied, wondering how fun it would be to dump Minako into the pond the others were seated beside. She decided against it, as it would completely ruin the match. Mars' brain rebelled, calling up the mental image of a soaking wet goddess of love, and she banished the thought quickly.

'_Woo. Lack of sleep there. Really need to be focused. What the hell is wrong with me today?'_

"Any special rules?" Minako called over to Jupiter, snapping Mars back to attention.

"Just one. Don't _kill_ each other." Makoto muttered.

Serenity cast a worried look over to her warriors in the ring. "Is this safe? Are they going to be ok?"

"Princess, you wanted to see a match." Mars replied.

"They'll be alright." Mercury said with a smile. "The only ones we can really train with at full strength would be each other."

"So are we gonna go, or what?" Rei called over anxiously, the prospect of a good fight pumping her up.

"Why are you so anxious to lose?" Minako teased.

"Like I'd lose to a ditz." came the snarky reply.

Venus huffed in indigence and threw a look over to where the others were seated a safe distance away. "Call it! I want to put her in her place!"

Jupiter laughed. "Alright. First one to get a death blow wins, step out of bounds and you lose! No pulling hair now, ladies."

Mars snickered. "No worries here. That's a blonde's move."

Minako's jaw dropped, and she fixed her opponent with a death glare.

"Truth hurts, huh?" the fire soldier teased.

Makoto smirked and tossed a ball of lighting energy over the heads of her comrades, signaling the battles start.

'_I know her. She's going to attack my left side. She knows it's still weak.' _True to her prediction, Minako drew her gladius and charged straight for Mars, strafing at the last second to bring her blade down on the fire soldier's left side. Mars quickly brought her own blade up horizontally, effectively blocking the attack, taking a quick step back to help deal with the force of the blow.

The blonde threw her a rather disarming smile and dropped to the ground, pushing herself forward with her left hand firmly in the dirt, and sending a hard kick across the greaves of Mars' right leg.

Rei grit her teeth and sent her sword into a downward thrust, connecting with nothing but dried turf. Venus was already on her feet again and coming around behind her quickly.

Mars whirled around quickly, yanking her sword out of the earth. She blindly threw a handful of fire in the blonde's direction, and was pleased to hear a rather undignified squeak of shock.

"What, you were going to try and get me from behind?" Rei smirked.

Minako rapidly patted out the flames on the ends of her hair and scowled. "Oh, you are so dead."

"Promises, promises." Mars muttered in response, taking the initiative while the blonde was still distracted. She leaped into the air, aiming for the blonde's left arm with a heavy forward thrust. Minako recovered and parried her blade, launching a crescent beam near inches from Rei's face with her free hand.

Mars let out a low whistle of appreciation as a small cut on her grazed cheek split open.

"Thanks." Venus growled, bringing her blade down. Mars met it with her own, and the two were locked in a dangerous shoving match.

"You know," Rei grunted. "You could make this easier on yourself and just give up."

"Highly doubtful." Venus said with a wink, pushing herself close to Mars and hooking a foot behind the fire warrior's.

"Oh, hell no!" Mars cried, releasing one of her hands from her sword's grip to pull the goddess of love down on top of her as they fell. She quickly readied herself for the fall, and rolled with the force on her back, bringing a knee up to connect with Minako's midsection, effectively tossing the blonde off.

Minako righted herself in mid-air and landed on her feet, panting heavily, while Mars rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself back up onto her feet. As they stared each other down, Rei had to fight the irresistible urge to tackle the blonde and take her right there, audience be damned. She shook her head rapidly to clear her foggy mind and attacked Venus again.

Serenity watched the power struggle with wide eyes. "How long does this go on, Jupiter?"

Makoto smiled. "Sometimes they go like this until they're both so angry one of us had to call it, because at that point, someone really could get hurt. We just threaten to dump them both into the pond until they cool off, and it usually works."

"Who wins most of the time?"

"Ah, probably Minako. She tends to keep a clear head, which is something an infuriated Mars doesn't do very well."

Serenity winced as Rei took a full on punch to the face.

"Come on Venus! Why do you always punch me in the same spot??" Mars growled. "I don't even think it's healed from the last time!!"

"Hey!" Minako laughed. "You totally deserved it last time!"

"Whatever!" the Martian growled. tackling the blonde. and twisting her wrist until her sword fell from her hand.

Venus donned a panicked look and tossed Rei off of her, quickly making a mad scramble for her blade. Mars was faster however, and tossed the gladius out of bounds.

Minako groaned in frustration as Rei laughed triumphantly, readying her sword. "It's over, Venus."

Venus formulated a last-ditch plan in her mind as Mars charged in for the death blow. Just as Rei moved to bring her sword down, Minako lashed out with her Love Me chain, catching the blade and yanking it out of the Martian's hands.

Rei reacted one second too slow, and found herself on the ground, the edge of her own blade pressed against her throat. A rather amused goddess of love sat on top of her, smiling gleefully.

"Got a little overconfident there, Mars." she pointed out cheerfully. "Looks like I win again."

Rei scowled. "Lucky shot with the chain."

"No luck Pyro. All skill." Venus proclaimed, getting to her feet and offering a hand to Mars.

Mars took the offered hand and let Venus pull her up. "Maybe next time then." Rei said with a smile, wanting nothing more than to kiss Minako. "But seriously. Can you start punching my face on the other side? I'm going to get some nasty scar tissue."

"Like I said, you deserved it." Minako grinned.

Mars rolled her eyes, and found herself flying through the air. She landed in an ungraceful heap in the grass, completely baffled by what had just occurred. She lay on her stomach for a moment, eyes closed, while her brain attempted to play catch up. Somewhere behind her, she could hear Venus cheering victoriously.

"Teach you to roll your eyes at me!"

Mars let out her breath in a huff, and heard an all too familiar chuckle from above. She opened her eyes, and caught her reflection staring back at her on a pair of shiny silver boots.

"Huh. Guess it's a good thing we came to help out."

Mars pushed herself up on sore elbows and immediately recognized the sandy haired woman standing before her.

"Uranus?"

"Hey Mars. Been a long time. I see the little blonde is still pushing you around."

Rei was about to grumble something in her own defense, but Minako rushed past her.

"Ah! Haruka!" she squealed happily, jumping into the tall woman's arms. "It's been forever! I've missed you so much!!"

Mars stared, slack jawed, as Venus draped herself all over the legendary soldier. Her heart burned with such intensity she almost didn't recognize the feeling that flooded through her. As Minako batted her eyelashes, and tossed her hair over her shoulder, Rei recognized the feeling. Jealousy. Complete, total, brain-numbing jealousy.

Her princess knelt down beside her, and patted her arm. "Are you alright Rei?"

Mars stared at her, blinking stupidly. "She threw me."

"I saw." Serenity giggled.

Mars nodded dumbly, and returned her gaze towards Minako.

"Maybe you should get up now?" the princess tried gently.

"Huh?"

"You're still laying on the ground."

"Oh." Rei stared at the grass beneath her, almost as if she had never seen it before, then added a plaintive "She threw me!"

"Pretty hard too, apparently." Serenity smiled.

Rei frowned, and looked back over at Minako and Haruka.

"Don't do it." Serenity whispered.

"Do what?" Mars hissed back.

"Punch Haruka. She'll knock you out, and besides, she hasn't done anything."

"Oh. That obvious, huh?"

"Just a little." The princess shook her head and rose to her feet, tugging Mars up with her.

"I really need some sleep." Rei grumbled, brushing herself off. "I just knew it was going to be one of those days."

"I hope you're not saying that just because you have to spend the whole day with me." Serenity teased.

"Wait, I don't want to answer that until I know something for sure." Mars replied.

"Oh? What do you want to know?"

"...are you going to throw me too?"

The princess gave her a bemused smile. "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to. I think that means you're safe."

Mars turned her attention back to Minako and Haruka, who had now been joined by Neptune, Mercury, and Jupiter.

"Must be a soldier thing." Serenity mused.

"What?"

"The way everyone idolizes Uranus and Neptune."

"Don't get me wrong," Mars said, "I do have great respect for the two of them. They lead the loneliest lives out of all of us, and they were the ones who trained us. I just wonder why Minako does that."

"Maybe it's just a part of her." Serenity answered, smiling happily as she watched her warriors laugh and talk animatedly. "You have your own little quirks."

"Like what?"

"Well, you're alone most of the time, and we can all tell something is bothering you, but you won't let us help you."

"That's not a quirk." Mars argued, eye twitching as Minako rested her hand on Haruka's forearm.

"How about violent urges then?" the princess teased.

Mars tried to find the energy to glare at her, but couldn't.

"Well come on," the princess said, tugging on Rei's arm. "If it bothers you so much, stop being anti-social and get her attention. The longer you stand over here, the more steam I can see coming out of your ears. It's not healthy, and if you keep it up, you're going to have an aneurism by the time you're thirty. Besides, I know you've missed those two as much as the others have."

"The idea of me living until thirty seems highly unlikely." Mars grumbled as her princess dragged her off.

"Well then, I guess you better hurry up and seize the day." Serenity replied with a smile, pushing Rei towards her comrades.

'_Can I seize a drink instead?'_

"Hey! She moves!" Haruka cheered, patting Mars on the back. "You fought well, not as well as I would have of course, but well."

"Thanks. I think." Mars mumbled, eyeing Haruka suspiciously.

Neptune laughed quietly. "You were right Venus, she hasn't changed at all."

Mars raised her head at the mention of her name, locking eyes with Minako. The blonde flashed her a dazzling smile, and Rei swore she could feel her bad mood drip right off. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached her hand out, grasped Minako's, and pulled the blonde to her.

"Heh...h...hi Mars..." Minako stuttered with a nervous laugh.

"Hi." Rei replied, flat monotone, without the faintest trace of a smile.

"You're not mad, are you?" Venus asked sweetly, batting her eyes.

"That's not going to work this time."

Minako pouted.

"That's not going to work either."

"No?" the blonde replied, tracing imaginary shapes on Rei's shoulder with her fingertips.

Mars shook her head sadly. "Nope."

"So, what are you going to do?" Venus asked quietly, already looking rather chastised.

Mars grew silent for a moment, looking as though she were contemplating something very deeply. Venus raised her eyebrows expectantly, and waited patiently.

Mars moved quickly, dropping to one knee, and scooping Venus up over her right shoulder. The blonde let out a surprised squeak as her world turned upside down. Rei laughed, and bounced the blonde into a more comfortable position from her spot draped over Rei's shoulder. The others burst into uproarious laughter as Venus tried in vain to get down.

"I swear to God, Mars, you better put me down right now!" she demanded.

"Or what?" Mars questioned, spinning around in a circle.

Venus let out a delighted laugh, which pretty much nullified any threats she could have made at that point.

"And this is our leader." Mars said to the others, patting Minako's rump.

"I'm thinking it's a _really _good thing we came to help." Uranus said with a grin.

"I'll kick you Mars! I mean it!" the blonde growled between giggles.

"Uh huh." Rei replied, clearly unfazed. "Maybe I should go dump _you_ into the pond."

"You better not!" she squeaked.

"Ok, I tell you what. You admit that I'm the best, and I'll put you down."

"WHAT??" Venus cried.

"I'm serious. Tell everyone that I'm the best."

"No!"

"No?" Mars questioned, walking towards the pond.

Minako wriggled her arms and pushed herself up slightly, using Rei's back as a support. She got her head up just enough to figure out where they were headed, and let out a panicked squeal.

Rei laughed. "Believe me now? You better say it."

"No!" the blonde cried, bursting into a fresh round of giggles.

"Ok." Mars replied in a resigned tone. " I guess I'll have to throw you in..."

"Aie! Ok! Ok! Fine!" Minako cried. She paused for a moment, sucking in a deep breath.

"I'm the best!!!" Venus yelled triumphantly, laughing hysterically, even as Mars tossed her into the freezing cold water. The other warriors burst into gales of laughter.

Mars waited until the blonde swam to the surface, and crossed her arms. "And what have we learned today Venus?"

Venus shot out another Love Me chain, catching Rei around the ankle, and dragging her into the water as well. Mars resurfaced quickly, staring at Minako in shock.

Venus beamed. "Well Mars, you want to know what I learned today?"

Rei couldn't help it. She bit. "What?"

"Martians are dumb."

The others stood by, watching the ensuing water wars between Venus and Mars.

"They are awfully cute together." Neptune commented with a smile.

"No kidding." Jupiter replied with a grin. "I just wish they'd get a move on."

"One thing about Rei, you can't push her." Serenity commented quietly.

Mercury laughed. "But all Minako does is push her."

"Hey!" Venus called. "Why are you all still standing there? Come on! It will be just like old times!"

"You're crazy!" Haruka called back.

Jupiter looked at Mercury and shrugged. "Well, she _is _the leader."

"Come on Princess!" Mars yelled. "Seize the day, remember?"

Serenity laughed, and looked towards the others. "I can't very well ignore my own advice, can I? What kind of ruler would I become?"

"True!" Jupiter laughed, as the princess ran and leaped into the water. The others followed suite, forgetting all the horrors of reality, at least for a day.

-------------------

Later that evening, Mars escorted a giggling, dripping princess back to her room.

Serenity paused in front of her door and smiled. "Thank you Rei. I think we all needed that."

"No kidding." Rei replied with a grin. "But I think Venus deserves some credit for that one."

"Are you going to get some rest now? You look tired."

"Yes, it's been a long day. Fun, but long. I've just got to wait for Mercury to replace me, and then I've got to see Venus. After that, hello sleepy time."

"You really care about her, don't you?" the princess asked with a smile.

Rei felt her face flush. "Yeah. I do."

"Have you told her?" Serenity questioned.

"Still working on that part." Mars admitted quietly.

"Don't wait too long."

"I won't." Rei promised. "Seize the day, right?"

"Right." Serenity laughed.

Mars smiled down at her, and knew that without a doubt, she would die for this girl, no matter what worldly attachments held her back. It comforted her to know that Venus would agree.

The princess wrapped her arms around her bodyguard, and hugged her tight. "Thank you again. I had so much fun."

"I know the feeling. It's always wonderful when you're with us." Mars replied, returning the embrace. She pulled back slightly, to wish her princess a goodnight, and just about had that predicted aneurism when Serenity raised herself up on her toes and kissed her.

_'Long day? That was an understatement.'_

-------------------

**Author's note - Oh dear God. Don't kill me. **


	11. Falling Back to Me

------------------

'_Please go easy on me. I'm feeling out of order.'_

----------------

Mars froze as all the circuits in her brain tripped. Her body stiffened as she became more than aware of the slim form she held in her arms. Her blood rushed in her ears, and even her breathing sounded like a dull roar.

'_What am I doing? Dear God, what am I doing?' _

Her eyes closed, and she kissed her princess back. Everything seemed to stop, and Mars felt as though she were holding Serenity for an eternity.

A sound somewhere at the end of the corridor startled them both, and the blonde jumped out of her arms, looking just as shocked as Rei.

"Rei...I'm so sorry..." she whispered, tears falling from her beautiful blue eyes. "I don't know what came over me."

Mars was locked in dumbfounded shock. All she could do was stare at her princess, mouth agape.

"I'm sorry!" Serenity choked out, tearing her eyes away from Rei's. She disappeared into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"...huh?" Mars asked the door, her mind reeling. Two and two began to add up, and comprehension slowly began to dawn on the fire soldier.

"Wait...what?" she cried, almost angry now.

She moved forward, fully intent on entering the princess' room, but another commotion from the end of the hall froze her feet in place.

Jupiter and Mercury rounded the corner, laughing quietly. Jupiter halted her steps for a moment, pulling Ami to her and kissing her soundly. Mars watched the pair wordlessly, still in a mild state of shock. Mercury and Jupiter however were still completely oblivious to the fact that she was standing there.

Ami broke the kiss, and leaned up to whisper something in Makoto's ear. Whatever it was must have been good, because the brunette broke into a full blush. That's when her eyes locked with Rei's. Her face flushed even redder, and she nodded her head to Mercury to indicate that they had company.

Mercury turned around, and blushed prettily when she noticed Mars.

"Ah, sorry Rei. Didn't know you were standing there." Jupiter mumbled sheepishly.

Mars nodded slowly.

"Are you alright Rei? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Inside, Mars cracked. She wanted to laugh, scream and cry, all while beating her head against the wall. Instead, she forced her calm demeanor back into place, carefully sliding the mask she had crafted for so long over her features.

"I'm fine." Mars replied, forcing a grin. "Just watching you two paw all over each other."

Her fellow soldiers flushed again.

'_That should stop the questions.'_

But Jupiter had one more. "Where's Serenity?"

"Sleeping!" Mars blurted out, a little too quickly for her liking. She mentally face-palmed herself and grinned. "She had a long day. And so did I. I think I'm going to go to bed."

Mercury nodded. "You look like you really need it."

'_NO KIDDING!'_

"But before you go, Venus was looking for you. I saw her heading out into the garden." Ami added.

'_Venus? Do I know a Venus?'_

Mars paled.

"Are you sure you're alright Mars? Maybe we should get you back to your room." Jupiter said with a worried look.

'_Venus. Oh God. Venus. What will I tell her???'_

Faintly, her brain hummed, trying to point out the fact that her friends were staring at her like she had sprouted an extra head.

"No! Ah, no. I'm ok. Just really tired. I'll go catch up with Minako. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." they responded in unison as Mars took off down the hall.

"Huh." Jupiter muttered after she had gone.

---------------------

Rei didn't know what else to do, so she settled for pacing in her room, feeling like a caged animal. Everything felt hot, and suffocating. She changed into loose black pants, and a large white collared shirt, hoping the extra space would help sooth her nerves. It didn't.

'_I don't understand. I just don't understand. I've got all I've ever wanted, so why now? Is this some kind of sick joke?'_

She felt anxious, as though she could crawl right up to the ceiling if she wanted to, and she didn't like it one bit. Everything had gone so well earlier, and she had honestly had fun today just being with Minako. But how would Venus like her now? She had to tell her what happened, it felt too horrible to even think about doing otherwise.

'_I have no idea what she'll do. She'll doubt everything I've built up with her. But I've loved the princess for so long, it hurts. I can't have everything, and I don't know what to do. Maybe I was right all along, maybe it was a mistake to get involved.'_

She slammed her palms into her windowsill roughly, almost wishing a demon would attack just so she would have something to pound on. Mars let out a frustrated sigh and let her eyes wander out the window.

'_I feel homesick. Homesick for something I'm not even familiar with. If I lose Minako, it would tear me apart.'_

The Earth hung heavy in the night sky, looking as though it would swallow everything else up. Her chest ached, and her head throbbed. She glared at the hideous blue orb that was supposed to doom them all and began to laugh, quietly at first, but eventually it evolved into something much louder. She laughed until her already aching sides stung painfully, and tears fell from her eyes.

"I've lost it." she announced aloud, her voice hoarse.

'_Let me go back in time. Let me do it all over again. I'd do it right. I liked being happy. Am I supposed to be happy? I got what I wanted, right? So why am I up here in the dark, all alone, acting like an idiot? _

'_I'll tell you why.' _her brain grumbled. _'Venus is going to be pissed. She won't trust you at all after this. Have you even thought about what you're going to say to Serenity? You can't avoid her. You've loved her almost your whole life. She's all you've ever wanted.'_

Mars scowled. "Shut up brain, or I _will _drown you in liquor."

The soldier let out a defeated sigh and thumped her head against iron bars. "And now I'm having conversations with myself. Wonderful. God, I just want an answer. I need to know what to do!"

A knock at her door nearly caused her to go into cardiac arrest.

"Rei? It's me, can I come in?"

'_Damn!! Damn damn damn!!! It's Venus! I need to do something!! Think fast!" _Her eyes darted wildly around the room, resting on her barred window. Jump out the window? She wasn't _that_ desperate.

The door knob clicked. That's settled it. She _was _that desperate.

Venus eased open the door to the fire soldier's room and was taken aback by the sight that greeted her.

"What in the world are you _doing _Rei?"

Mars had both feet plated firmly on the wall, a good three feet off the ground. She had the iron grate that blocked her window from enemy attacks firmly clutched in both hands, and she was currently yanking on it for all her worth, trying to pry them loose.

Her head snapped back towards the door with the blonde's entrance, and the bars finally gave way. She flew backwards, sliding on her back head first across the floor until she skidded to a stop a few feet away from Minako, grate still in her hands.

'_That cute little white dress. I love that dress on her. AGH! What are you doing?? Focus!!'_

"Um, hi?" Mars stammered weakly.

"Hi." Venus replied, raising in eyebrow in confusion. "What are you doing?"

Mars shrugged weakly from her spot on the floor. "Testing the security? If I can pull these off, imagine what the enemy can do!"

Minako gave her a dubious look.

'_Bloody brilliant!! What are you doing for your next trick, Wonder Mars?'_

Mars squinted up at the blonde. "Did you know that in a past life I killed puppies and orphans?"

"What??"

"Never mind." Rei mumbled, getting to her feet. "Inside joke."

"Alright. That's it. What's going on?" Venus demanded, crossing her arms.

"Nothing. I'm just...relieving stress." Mars replied, waving her hand nonchalantly, forgetting all about the grate she still held. Venus looked at the mass of iron in her hand, and then back to Mars.

"That's all? You're just stressed? Funny. I've seen you stressed, and I must say, the palace usually doesn't fall apart when you have a bad day."

Rei sighed wearily and tossed the grate to the floor.

'_I'm going to close my eyes, and count to ten. When I open them, I'll be sitting in my bar, way past intoxicated, and the past few weeks will have been nothing more than a drunken hallucination.' _

Ten seconds passed, and Mars opened her eyes slowly. A very agitated Venus was still waiting for some sort of explanation.

'_Come on, Powers That Be. Have I been that evil?'_

"Look Rei, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're making me crazy! You go from being perfectly fine, to acting like a total nutcase. Then you're fine with me, and now you avoid me! What's going on? Why were you going to jump out the window?"

"Um, it seemed like a spectacular idea at the time." Mars mumbled quietly.

"So you'd rather jump out a window than see me?"

Rei flinched, as though she had been punched. "No, it's not like that."

"Looks that way to me."

Mars twitched nervously. "I've just had a long day. I'm really tired, I haven't slept, and that makes me do stupid things."

"That I can agree with. Now how about you tell me the truth?"

"The truth?" Rei repeated dumbly.

"Yes. As in the opposite of a lie. I know you're not that slow. I've been around you long enough to know when something's wrong." The blonde sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair absently. "I want to help you, Rei. I really do."

"No. You don't. Trust me on this. In fact, I think it would be better if you just stayed away from me." Mars replied softly, tearing her eyes away from Minako. It broke her heart just to say the words, and she couldn't bring herself to watch the pain she knew they would cause.

Venus took a step back. "W...why?"

"Because." the Martian choked out. "I ruin everything I touch, and I've already ruined what we had."

"What are you talking about?" Venus asked softy.

"I can't lie to you." Rei laughed bitterly. "God, I almost wish I could. But I need to know what to do. I need my answer." She shook her head. "I want to tell you something before you decide that you never want to see me again."

Minako said nothing, but the look on her face already spoke volumes of distrust.

Rei felt a jarring pain in her chest. Her heart crawled up into her throat, and she had to force back the tears that threatened to spill over. She burned a hole into the floor with her eyes, because she couldn't bring herself to face the blonde. "I had fun. I really did. When I was with you, I swear, everything else melted away. All the pain and loneliness, all my fears and insecurities, you banished them all with just your smile. There were days when I felt I would jump out of my skin if I couldn't touch you. I didn't understand it, and I still don't. The perfect words to say to you, to make you see how I felt, never came to my mind because I was too busy thinking of you.."

The fire soldier let out a shaky breath. "And here you are, standing in front of me, turning everything that used to be so simple upside down and inside out, and I think I'll go mad if it all goes back to normal. But tonight, all of a sudden, everything I was so sure of earlier today was torn apart in less than thirty seconds. I tried so hard not to promise you anything, because I didn't want to hurt you."

The blonde stood, locked in a stunned silence.

'_Speechless. I made her speechless. An otherwise impossible feat.' _

Mars met her eyes at last, feeling almost positive that this would be the last time Minako would let her close.

"Minako, I walked Serenity to her room today, after we all came in. Everything seemed so normal. I don't even know how it happened, but she kissed me." Mars swallowed roughly. "She kissed me the way you kiss me, and I kissed her back."

Venus was still rooted to her spot, head bent down, and Rei felt her chest tighten painfully.

"Minako, say something, please..."

"What can I say?" the blonde whispered faintly.

Mars could hear the tears in her voice, was sure she just felt her heart break in half. "I'm sorry, Mina. I'm so very sorry."

"Don't." Minako whispered dangerously. "I've heard that line before. Next you'll say you didn't want to hurt me."

"I didn't do it to _hurt _you!!"

Venus looked her straight in the eyes. "You know what hurts the most Rei? I actually started to care about you, more than I can say. I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, you felt the same. I thought that we could have moved past the whole _substitute_ stage."

Mars cringed, tears prickling her eyes. "It wasn't like that. That I _can_ promise."

"What was it then?" Minako cried.

"I was falling for you!! Do you think it would hurt me this much if you were just a substitute?? Don't you think I'd be happy with the princess if that were the case? But all I've been able to think about is how much I care about..." Mars froze. Her answer. There it was.

'_You idiot.' _

Minako was still glaring at her angrily, while Rei was flooded with such a sense of overwhelming relief, she felt completely at peace for what must have been the first time in her entire life.

"Mina, I'm not asking you to leave." Mars started, "I'm asking you to forgive me, and to stay."

"What?"

Rei closed the distance between them, and dropped to her knees. She reached up, taking one of the blonde's hands in her own, and took a deep breath for courage. "Please forgive me. Please. I want to be with you, and only you. You're the one I want to see everyday, and you're the one I think about during every waking moment."

Mars swallowed hard, ignoring the tears that blurred her vision. "I couldn't bear it if I saw you every single day, but I couldn't hold you close. The thought scares me more than anything else, because I'd be lost without you. If... if I lost you now, because of something so stupid, it would kill me inside."

Mars swallowed hard. She was so scared and nervous, she was shaking. Her head dropped. _'What a sight I must be. The great warrior, on her knees, shaking like a child.'_

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Minako asked at last, her voice cracking.

"Mina, I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life."

Venus knelt on the floor in front of Mars, still gripping her hand tightly. "I couldn't handle it if you left me, Rei. Not now, not ever. I just need to know that this is what you want. All I've wanted this whole time is to know how you felt, and that's all that mattered to me."

"Minako, I think I've fallen in love with you. I just wish it wouldn't have taken such a stupid action for me to figure it out."

Venus launched herself forward, knocking Mars over onto the floor, and kissed her fiercely.

"Damn." Mars breathed. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Rei was more than happy to oblige, wrapping her arms tightly around her goddess and kissing her deeply. Minako moaned into the kiss, and Mars felt her heart jump into double-time. She buried her fingers into golden silk, and kissed the lips she swore she'd die without.

She felt soft hands slide under her shirt, and delicate fingers danced over her sides, causing the fire soldier to catch her breath in her throat.

"Minako...wait...wait a minute."

"Hm?" the blonde murmured between kisses.

"We have to stop, just for a moment." Rei panted out.

Minako pulled back, uncertainty etched over her features.

"It's alright." Mars assured her with a dashing smile. "It just seems like a crime to have the beautiful goddess of love on the cold floor."

"Oh." Venus replied, blushing prettily. "Can't feel too good on you back either I'd imagine. You kinda did fling yourself across the room earlier."

"I told you. You make me crazy." Rei grumbled playfully, releasing her hold on Minako. The blonde rose to her feet, holding out a hand to Mars, giggling cutely when they stumbled over each other.

The fire soldier caught Venus by surprise, sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her to the bed. Mars laid her down gently on the soft mattress, and smiled.

"Just promise me something Minako."

"Hm?"

"Don't punch me in the morning."

The blonde laughed, and wrapped her arms around Rei's neck, pulling her down beside her. "As long as you promise not to shove me under the bed."

"Oh come on, I'd never do something like _that_."

"Liar! Listen to you and your lies!" Minako cried, crinkling her face up in mock anger. "I bet you said all those sweet, wonderful things just to get me into bed."

"But I haven't done anything to you yet." Rei pointed out.

"Oh."

Mars laughed quietly. "You're so cute when you make those faces."

"Hmph. Like I'd listen to anything a liar says."

"Hey now, you've only been trying to seduce me since we were what, ten?" Mars replied.

"You remember all that?" Minako asked, clearly surprised. Rei nodded.

"Well, it's not my fault you're so slow." Venus giggled.

"True. But you could cut me some slack. I'm trying."

"Oh fine, you baby." the blonde murmured, meeting the fire soldier's lips with her own.

Mars let out a quiet sound of contentment from the back of her throat. Minako's lips were so soft and warm, and she could feel the loving tenderness behind them. She let a hand slide down to the blonde's waist, and ran her fingers over the smooth fabric of her dress, feeling the perfectly toned stomach underneath.

A small sound, almost a whimper, escaped the blonde's lips and lit Mars' body on fire.

"God, you're beautiful." Rei whispered, burying her face into her neck, kissing and sucking at Minako's pulse point. Venus intertwined her fingers into raven hair and pulled her closer.

Mars began to feel that warm, suffocating feeling again, only this time she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with bad nerves. Venus grabbed the collar of her shirt with her free hand and pulled the Martian up for another searing kiss, and Rei could feel her self restraint breaking away under the skillful lips of the goddess.

Mars took total control, feeling the need to reconfirm all the newly formed feelings in her heart. She gazed at the slim form beneath her and wondered again how she could have been so damn foolish to even think about giving her up.

Beautiful blue eyes gazed up at her, trusting, with a hint of vulnerability.

"I used to think I was invincible, untouchable." Rei whispered, resting a hand on Minako's knee. "But you've taught me otherwise. Just looking at you makes my legs go weak, and my heart beats so fast I can't even think straight." She slid her hand down the blonde's thigh, gently caressing silky smooth skin.

Venus gasped, and Mars could feel the muscles under her fingers tighten. She leaned forward, stealing a kiss from those wonderful lips, and smiled faintly when long nails ran down her spine. Their lips met again, and something seemed to click into place. The kisses became more heated and desperate. Rei pulled her up into a half-sitting position, grasping the hem of her dress and pulling it up and off.

The blonde shook her head, and long silken hair tumbled down her back. "Mm. Not fair." she purred. "What's good enough for me should be good enough for you." Swift, gentle hands removed Rei's shirt and caressed the skin underneath. The Martian's breath caught in her throat as warm loving arms encircled her neck and pulled her back down.

Mars' head swam dizzily. She could never remember anything feeling this wonderful. She regretted that their first time had been under less than perfect conditions, but she fully intended to make up for it now. As the blonde removed the rest of her clothing, she was pretty sure that Venus agreed with her.

Rei pulled the nude form of her goddess close, marveling at how well their bodies fit together. Minako locked her legs around the soldier's waist and moaned as Mars left burning trails of fire wherever her fingers touched. The raven haired woman felt the blonde's skin quivering under her ministrations, and knew she was ready.

She ran her hands over Minako's thighs slowly, torturing her purposely.. The blonde whimpered, digging her nails into the Martian's back, leaving long, red furrows. Mars leaned over her, catching her lips once more, before gently slipping inside. Venus arched her back, crying out the fire soldier's name as she drove her over the edge repeatedly, her arms trembling as she held Rei tightly.

Mars swallowed nervously as the blonde began to come down from the edge of oblivion and kissed her tenderly, before moving her lips to Minako's ear.

"I...I love you Mina."

Venus gasped, her hold on Mars tightening. "Oh Rei..." she murmured quietly, tears filling her cerulean blue eyes. "I love you too."

Rei laughed, her vision blurred by her own tears. "Thank God." She kissed the blonde sweetly, never wanting to let her go. "Thank God..."

-------------------------

As the sun peeked through Mars' rather mangled window, she blinked sleepily. A warm, comforting weight on her chest brought an easy smile to her face. She kissed the top of Minako's head softly, chuckling lightly when the blonde mumbled something about 'God forsaken mornings' and pulled the blanket over her head.

"I couldn't agree more." Rei murmured, snuggling back into her pillow, and her goddess.


	12. Circles

-----------------

11 Days

---------------

"Tell me why this was such a good idea again?" Mars grumbled, shifting her weight on her stool.

"Because! We're kind of like the men. We need to go out and drink!" Uranus declared.

"Speak for yourself." Jupiter mumbled.

Mars frowned. "I don't know if I like the idea of us leaving the palace. What if something happens?"

"You're just upset that we dragged you out of your little love nest." the brunette commented dryly.

The fire soldier threw her a dirty look.

Uranus laughed. "No one will attack. And besides, even if something _did _happen, Michiru could handle it. She's dangerous when she's mad."

"Who is she so angry at?" Makoto questioned.

"Me." Haruka admitted, hanging her head. "Hence the drinking."

Jupiter and Mars face-palmed.

Haruka shrugged. "Oh come on, it's not like I had to twist your arms. It's good to get away from the women every now and then."

Mars crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, except maybe for you. You're still new at the happy fun relationship thing. Just wait until you make her _angry."_

Jupiter chuckled. "She has a point there, Mars."

Rei blinked in confusion. "What, Mercury gets mad at you? I don't think I've even heard her raise her voice before."

Makoto nodded her head solemnly. "Yeah, remember that night when I fell asleep while on patrol, and you found me outside, sleeping on a bench?"

Mars nodded.

"Well I didn't fall asleep on patrol. Ami and I got into a fight, and I ended up sleeping outside."

"Damn. What did you do?" Haruka asked.

Jupiter hung her head. "I called her Serenity."

Mars scratched the back of her head and took a long sip of her rum. "That doesn't seem so bad."

"...while we were in bed."

Mars spit her liquor all over the counter. "Whaaaaaat?"

Haruka burst into laughter. "Careful Mars. That's alcohol abuse."

"Shut up Haruka! Tell me you didn't Jupiter..."

"Hey! We had just started seeing each other! It was an accident! I was really tired, and she took it the wrong way!" the brunette cried.

"Wonderful."

Makoto blushed faintly. "Yeah, that would be the reason why I made up the story about falling asleep."

"Man, both of you are new." Haruka snickered.

"Well alright, genius. What did you do wrong?"

Uranus stiffened, and downed the rest of her drink.

"Hey hey, we can't hear you." Mars smirked.

"I did the same thing." Haruka mumbled dejectedly.

Jupiter shook her head. "She certainly has that effect on people, doesn't she?"

Mars nodded. "Venus and I talked about it one time. We kinda pinned on the fact that we're trained our whole lives to die for her, ya know? Maybe you have to love someone an awful lot to die for them."

"Well, would you die for the Queen?" Uranus asked.

"Of course."

"So, why don't you have wild fantasies about her? Wait! Maybe you do!" the wind soldier leered.

"Don't do that." Mars grumbled. "It's creepy."

"Sorry, sorry. Back to your theory now?"

Mars shuddered. "I'm going to have _that_ mental image for awhile."

"Aw, why did you say that??" Jupiter cried, burying her face in her hands. "Now I have it too!!"

Haruka laughed. "You guys are too much! I wish I could have seen you more often."

They both glared at the legendary soldier.

"What?"

Jupiter rolled her eyes. "Anyway, finish the theory. It's starting to bother me."

"So anyway, we're always reborn to protect her right? Who in their right mind would die over and over for the same person, for what, all eternity, without there being love involved?"

"Ugh. It's depressing when you say it like that." Haruka commented.

"Does that mean we can drink more?" Makoto asked, her eyes taking on a dark look.

Mars was way ahead of them, and already ordering another round.

"You know, " the wind soldier stated thoughtfully, holding her fresh drink in her hand. "all this talk about dying, women and love has got me to thinking."

"This can't be good." Mars whispered to Jupiter.

"No kidding."

If Uranus heard them, she didn't let on. "Isn't funny, how all of us ended up together? I mean, everything got paired so nicely, you know? Not a male in sight."

Mars scoffed. "Every male I've met couldn't hold a candle to Venus. I mean seriously. She's the Goddess of Love! How could anyone look elsewhere?"

"...she's got it bad." Haruka mumbled.

At the moment, Jupiter seemed more interested in reaching the bottom of her glass. Once she had successfully emptied it of it's contents, she slammed the glass down on the counter and sighed. "I've always thought it was bad luck to question fate. Especially such a good fate."

"True." the blonde replied. "But isn't weird how no one says anything about it? Even the queen. She just smiles and nods."

"Maybe she knows something we don't?"

"Like what, the secret to life, the universe, and everything else?" Mars questioned.

"Possible."

The fire soldier winced. That horrid feeling was starting up in her arm again, and it was honestly starting to get worse every time. _'I've been so busy with Venus and trying to avoid the princess that I forgot all about it.. I really should get it checked.' _Mars tenderly rotated her shoulder, trying to shake the feeling off.

Makoto noticed her discomfort and gave her a worried look. "That still bugging you? I thought for sure with the fast healing and all..."

"Nah, I'm good. Just gets a little stiff." the Martian commented, slamming back another drink. "Nothing a little alcohol won't cure."

Uranus eyed her critically. "You sure? I mean, we all should try to keep in top physical form."

"Yes, which is exactly why we're getting drunk." Mars laughed.

Haruka swallowed hard. "I know it's not good for us, but..."

Rei nodded silently. There was no need for her to finish that sentence, but the 'what if' hung heavily over their heads regardless.

--------------

_A few hours later._

_-------------_

Jupiter fell off her barstool, and a rather wobbly Mars tried to help her up, weaving unsteadily on drunken legs. "Come on Jupiter. If we bring you home bleeding, Ami will kill us."

"What's all this 'us' stuff?" Uranus drawled. "I'm an Outer. That makes you responsible for her."

Rei blinked in intoxicated confusion. "But this was your idea. I think. You're supposed to be the mature one."

Makoto found this to be particularly amusing, and burst into giggles, causing Rei to topple to the floor.

Haruka closed one eye and studied the scene before her, which had become a rather undignified tangle of hair and limbs. "Huh. Maybe I am the mature one."

"Shut up." Mars growled, struggling to get to her feet. She failed miserably and fell again, her face landing in Jupiter's chest.

Makoto just grinned. "Hey Mars, I didn't think you liked me that way."

"Oooh, good thing Venus isn't here. I think she'd beat you senseless." Haruka said with a laugh.

That got Rei up on her feet and back on her seat in a hurry, her face a bright shade of red. "I hate you guys. I hate you guys so much." she cast a death glare at Jupiter, who had finally managed to get a grip on the counter and was in the process of pulling herself up. "And you. You're shameless."

"Heeeey," Jupiter cried plaintively. "You were the one on top of me!!"

"Oh yeah." Mars mumbled quietly.

" It's ok." the brunette replied. "I won't tell Venus about our mad affair, and she won't have to beat you."

The fire soldier's jaw dropped in comic disbelief.

"Well this is going downhill rapidly." Haruka commented.

"Hey! Shut up! And Venus wouldn't beat me!" Mars declared.

"No?" The blonde questioned. "What, the whole 'lover not a fighter' deal?

"Something like that." Rei replied, smiling giddily.

"Tell me about it." Jupiter bemoaned. "I have to _listen_ to those two carry on every night. It's been three days already! The rest of us need some sleep!"

Haruka let out a low whistle of appreciation. "Damn. Who knew little Rei had it in her?"

"Little?? I'm pushing twenty two!" Mars growled, blushing madly.

"Hey hey, no need to get testy. We'll take you home to your little blonde. She'll help you unwind." the wind soldier said with a wink.

Mars thumped her head on the counter. "I don't even know why I bother."

"Because you love us." Makoto announced solemnly, patting her on the back.

Rei let out a genuine laugh. "I suppose I'd have to, especially if we're having a mad hot affair."

"Exactly." Jupiter replied with a sage nod.

Mars couldn't fight the smile that plastered itself on her face. "Ya know, this wasn't such a bad idea after all."

"See? You should listen to the mature one." Haruka said with a grin.

"Like I'd listen to someone who's planet is all tilted." Rei retorted.

The blonde pounded her fists on the table in mock anger. "Hey! Low blow!"

"Truth hurts." Makoto commented. "And if we don't get out of here soon, our heads will hurt."

Haruka nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, I think it's safe for me to start groveling now."

"I don't know how you do it." Mars said. "Neptune is pretty intimidating."

"It's all an act." Haruka replied, draining the rest of her glass. "She's actually very sweet."

"Sounds like someone I know." Jupiter muttered dryly.

Mars shook her fuzzy head in confusion and looked back at her comrades, who were staring at her rather strangely. "What?"

------------------

As the three soldiers made their way back onto palace grounds, Mars couldn't shake the horrid feeling that something was going to go very wrong. Her skin was crawling, and her shoulder throbbed., but she really didn't want to bring it up. She had enjoyed spending time with her friends and didn't want to ruin it by putting everyone on alert.

"And this is where I depart." Jupiter announced, staggering slightly.

"Do you need help back to your room?" Rei asked in concern.

"Nope. And besides. You know how rumors fly around here."

Mars laughed. "Rumors be damned. I don't need you bleeding to death because you knocked your head."

"And that's why I would only have a hot affair with you." Makoto said with a grin. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Of course. Tomorrow I'm going to beat the hell out of all of you." Haruka replied. "Gotta check your training."

"Fun fun." the brunette mumbled sarcastically, waving a hand and wandering off.

"Hm. She's right you know." Uranus said after a moment.

"About what?" Mars questioned.

"The mad hot affair. I'd go after you."

"Yeah, tilted planet remember? It would never work." Rei said with a laugh.

"Oh well." the blonde replied with a shrug and a smile. "'Night Mars."

"Night."

Rei watched the wind solider walk away, no doubt contemplating all the sweet nothings she would whisper in Neptune's ear. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the cool breeze that blew through her hair, and let out a tired sigh. _'Maybe I'm just overly paranoid. Maybe it's all stress, and everything will be fine.' _Her shoulder twitched in response, and Mars bit back a frustrated growl.

She raised her eyes towards the palace, and let her thoughts drift to Minako instead. Thinking of the blonde always seemed to cheer her up, and even now she could feel a smile tugging at her lips. _' I wish I could see her, but she's probably on guard duty now. Ugh. I've been lucky to get out of duty so far, but I can't avoid the princess forever. Three days later, and I still don't know what I should say to her.'_

Mars frowned slightly. A month ago, even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't picture herself in the situation she was in now. All the confusion and stress seemed to have brought down an enormous emotional toll on her friends, and apparently not even the sweet, naive princess was exempt. She wondered idly why Serenity had done what she had. Maybe she was just as worried as everyone else, if not, more so. The whole incident with Endymion definitely hadn't helped, that was for certain.

Rei didn't even want to toy with the notion that her princess had developed feelings for her. It seemed too surreal. If she had, what then? She certainly wasn't about to leave Venus. In just the short time they had spent together since that fateful night of drunken mischief, Mars had found herself completely and utterly addicted to all things Minako, and she was certain that not even Serenity was going to tear her away from _that._

Her head swam. _'Argh. Mina's right. I shouldn't be so serious all the time. It's making me weird. Maybe a little walk would help?'_

She wandered aimlessly around the palace grounds and eventually found herself in the garden, in the exact spot where she and Venus had had their first kiss. She shook her head and had a laugh at the expense of her subconscious._ 'Figures I'd end up here. Damn, I must be getting soft.'_

Out of habit, her eyes found the Earth and studied it carefully. Everything on the surface looked so calm and peaceful, but she knew from personal experience that it was dangerous to judge things by their outward appearance.

"This is depressing! I thought for sure you'd have better things to think about."

Rei snapped back to reality, only to find it had disappeared into the accursed nothingness. Her mind fumbled numbly for a moment while she tried to get a grasp on what had just occurred. The darkness. She was in the darkness.

"Been a while, hasn't Mars?"

"Not long enough." Rei growled.

"Aw, what's with the attitude? After all our little discussions, I thought for sure we would become friends."

"Shut the hell up. I know what you are now!"

"Do you now?" the voice inquired mockingly.

"The helper. You're the helper. I know you're here just to screw with my head, so just give it up already."

"Ugh." the voice sighed in disdain. "Is that the only thing that pitiful man could come up with?"

Mars felt her blood burn through her veins as it began to boil. "You know, this is getting old very quickly, and I'm starting to lose my patience."

"_Oh, excuse me. _Has someone had a long day?"

"I'll show you a long day!" the fire soldier snarled.

"Settle down. We don't need you having an _aneurism."_

Mars was sure something in her brain just exploded. Her skull began to throb tremendously, and she fell to her knees, clutching her head in her hands.

"There now. Are you going to be quiet?"

Rei tried to force out a reply, to show she wasn't going to play this little game anymore, but all she couldn't get anything out past her clenched teeth.

"Ah! Much better! Now that I have your full attention, maybe we can finish this discussion like two civilized people. I have something to tell you that's been just _eating_ at me for days! You know that wonderful little wound in your shoulder?"

Mars shook. Her skull felt like it was about to split open, and she could barely comprehend any of the nonsense the helper was spouting out.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe I should ease up a little, hey? I always come on a little strong."

The pain ceased immediately, and Rei felt a sense of horror she had never experienced before run through her very soul.

"Now! Where was I? Oh yes! Your wound! Do you want to know why it's still so terribly sore?"

Mars remained silent, her breath still ragged and short.

"I'll tell you why! That stupid beast that you had slain back in that dark, miserable little alley left a present for you! Do you want to know what it is?"

Silence.

"I'll tell you anyway. Right now, as we speak, dark poison is pumping through your veins. You can't slow it down, and you can't stop it. Gradually it will take over your body and soul, turning you into a mindless demon, only interested in destruction."

The fire soldier's eyes widened in shock. "Liar!" she rasped out weakly. "You're lying!"

"No, no I'm not. Do you not believe me? Here's an idea! Go visit that cute little doctor friend of yours. She'll confirm it. I bet you've felt it's effects already though, burning all your muscles. Tell me, have you had any violent urges lately?"

Mars decided to ignore that last little comment. "And why should I believe you? What would you gain from telling me this??"

"Let's put it this way. That's why they call me the Helper."

Rei's stomach turned as her world shifted back to normal, and as her vision cleared, she found herself standing in front of the infirmary. _'What? What the hell am I doing here?' _

Her blood ran cold. This wasn't good. It was bad enough that she lost touch with reality whenever they had those little chats, but now she was up and moving while she was quite literally out of her mind. Before she could try to get a grasp on things, the door popped open, and Mercury came out, nearly running into the fire soldier.

"Oh! Rei, you startled me!"

Mars could only stare at her in a state of numb shock.

Ami's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "Is everything okay? Why are you so pale?"

"Ami. I need help. Badly."

"Are you okay? Is anyone hurt?"

"No. I just...need you to check me over."

The ice soldier nodded. "Alright, I can do that. Come in."

Once seated on the examination table, Rei let out a worried sigh. "I need you to check my shoulder. I think something is really wrong with it."

"Still in a lot of pain?"

"Yes. At times I get this weird feeling, like all my muscles in my arm are shaking."

Ami frowned in confusion. "Could be nerve damage."

Mars lowered her eyes to the floor. "I don't think so."

"Any other symptoms?"

"Yes." Rei swallowed hard, and took a deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you is going to sound like complete insanity, but I need you to believe me."

Ami gave her a comforting smile. "With the lives we lead, I don't think _anything_ could be considered insane anymore."

Mars had to laugh at that. "Too true."

The fire soldier told Mercury everything, from her encounters with the helper to the warning Endymion had given her. By the time she had finished, Ami was looking rather disturbed.

"You believe me, don't you Ami?"

Mercury nodded. "Of course I do. It would explain quite a bit, and I can't help but wonder if this phantom of yours is in fact responsible for the prince's behavior. Interesting thought. He claimed it stopped when we had him in custody, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then I wonder why it's affecting you so badly. I'd think that with your powers, and with being in close proximity to the Silver Crystal, you'd almost be immune."

"You're the doctor. All I know is I feel like I'm going out of my mind."

"Have you mentioned this to the others?" Mercury asked gently.

"Of course not. Please don't, Ami..."

"I wouldn't. It just makes me worry when you try to do everything alone."

Mars smiled. "After what happened today, I'm pretty sure I'll never be alone."

"Good to hear. I have to admit I was anxious about the lot of you running out to 'bond' as Uranus put it, but it obviously did some good. Now how about you loose the shirt?"

Rei's eyes boggled out of her head. "Whaaaaaat?"

Ami rolled her eyes at the soldier's antics. "Now I know for sure you've spent way too much time with Minako. Stop acting like a pervert. I can't very well check your shoulder with it on, can I?"

"Oh." Mars complied, blushing faintly. "Sorry."

"It's alright. Just let me see if we get a reaction..." The ice soldier murmured, picking up a smooth, clear crystal and running it inches above Rei's wound. She took a sharp intake of breath when the crystal shook in her hand and turned an ominous pitch black.

"What? Is that bad?" Mars asked worriedly.

Mercury swallowed hard. "It appears your little friend was telling the truth..."


	13. Strange Things

------------------

_'Now all of a sudden, some strange things are happening to me.'_

_-------------------_

Mars paced around the garden anxiously. It was true. Everything that damn helper had told her was true. According to Ami, her body was being rapidly overthrown by dark energy, and she had no idea how to stop it, short of trying to have the Queen purify her with the Silver Crystal.

Rei tried to hold back the shudder that ran through her. It explained her arm spasms, but it certainly didn't explain why she wasn't showing any other symptom of the dark energy. Mercury had chalked it up to her powers holding at bay for now, but she had warned that should it start to take control, it would be fast, and almost unstoppable. She had promised the bluenette that she would speak with the Queen, first thing in the morning, because the very idea of something crawling under her skin gave her the chills.

Ami had reluctantly agreed, so for now, Mars was alone with her jumbled thoughts.

"Do you believe me now?" the Helper asked cheerily.

'_Or not...'_

"You again." Rei muttered darkly. "Do I ever get a break? It hasn't even been an hour."

"And what fun would that be?"

"Just tell me what you want." the fire soldier snapped tiredly.

"With that attitude, I find it amazing that you've managed to land anyone at all, much less that hot little blonde number..."

"Bite me."

"Now, be nice. I don't want to have to pull a repeat, especially since your head just stopped hurting."

Mars tried to give her visitor a withering death glare, but found it impossible in the endless black.

"On to business then!"

"Business? What business??" Mars demanded angrily, but she had already found herself back in her domain, under the ever-present glow of the Earth.

Rei blinked in confusion. _'Well, that was strange. Stranger than usual anyway. No warnings, no games. Makes me really damn nervous.'_

"Rei?"

Mars spun on her heels to find the one person she had been going out of her way to avoid.

_'Of course.' _The soldier stiffened, her discomfort fairly obvious.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about what happened, but lately it's been impossible to find you." her princess murmured quietly.

"I'm sorry." Mars replied awkwardly, suddenly feeling like she was a small child again, trying to play grown-up.

"It's ok. Have you been doing alright?"

_'Oh yeah, sure. Just going a little crazy is all...' _"Yes, I'm doing fine."

"And your arm?" Serenity questioned,

"Much better." Rei said with a forced smile, rotating her arm for emphasis.

"Good. I worry. I guess I'll always worry."

"Don't do that, you'll get wrinkles." Mars murmured quietly, thoughts drifting to Venus and a conversation they had had that morning.

"It's funny." Serenity replied with a sad smile. "Every time you think of her you get that look in your eyes."

Rei swallowed uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.

"I remember when that look was for me."

The fire soldier stiffened. "How...how did you know?"

The princess shook her head. "I may be slow sometimes, but I'm not blind. In fact, I was even down right cruel at times."

"Cruel?"

"Yes. I found myself feeling so guilty that I couldn't return your feelings, so I'd start, I don't know, trying to give you _something._"

"I don't understand." Mars whispered.

"I started to go out of my way to find an excuse to just touch you." the princess admitted, pink tinting her cheeks. "I'd grab your hand, or brush past you purposely, all kinds of dumb things."

"I think that makes me the slow one. I just thought you were being friendly." Rei replied, suddenly feeling very old.

The princess sighed. "And then you got hurt, and I guess I realized it wasn't just guilt anymore. I really cared for you."

"Then, the whole Endymion thing..." Mars murmured, adding the pieces together.

"Exactly. And it was all just bad timing on my part. I should have spoken up sooner, but I see that you two are so happy, and I can't imagine wanting to ruin that. Serenity said with a sigh. "It wasn't my intention to bring down any more stress on you guys, especially you. You had so much to deal with already, and I only complicated things. For so long I felt bound by duty, and with things standing as they were, it looked as though I'd finally break those chains. I felt like I wouldn't have to settle for something I didn't want for the good of my people. So, I tried reaching out and taking what I had always wanted before." She laughed, but the tone didn't reach her eyes. "Didn't work, did it?"

Her blue eyes met Rei's, and the fire soldier was struck by the sharp pang of guilt. "Do you want to know what the worst part was?" the princess asked in a near whisper. "I couldn't even talk to my best friend about it."

Mars swallowed thickly. "It wasn't, I mean, I didn't know..."

The princess shook her head. "I just hope you're happy. That's all. If you really care about her, and she can honestly make you smile, then that's all I need to move on, you know?"

The soldier nodded. "I do care about her, and it was actually because of you that I found the courage to say something, so without you, no one would be happy. Well, Haruka is the sole exception I think..."

Serenity looked puzzled. "What did I do to her?"

Mars let out a short laugh, and waved her hand. "Don't worry about it."

The princess gave her bodyguard a nervous look. "I just hope this won't ruin our friendship."

Rei smiled, and pulled Serenity close for a hug. "Of course not." she murmured into golden locks. "If anything, I'm a dummy for not coming to you sooner to clear this up."

The princess laughed cheerily and threw her arms around the soldier's neck. "You may be a dummy, but you're our favorite dummy, right Venus?"

Mars turned her head slightly to catch sight of Minako, stepping forward from behind a column.

"It's the truth." Venus said with a grin.

Rei blushed lightly. "And how long have you been there?"

The goddess tossed her head and crossed her arms. "Honestly, what kind of guard would I be if I let this trouble maker wander around wherever she pleased, every night at this hour?"

Serenity smiled sheepishly. "Hey. I don't do it _every_ night."

"But she had the trouble maker part down_." _Mars commented quietly. "You see him?"

Venus nodded in agreement and mouthed the word, 'ready?'

"After you, gorgeous."

The blonde flashed her a dazzling smile and sprang into action, leaping up into the branches of a nearby tree and hitting an unseen 'guest' hard. Mars shifted positions with the princess, standing in front of her protectively.

One of the palace's own guards tumbled from the tree, landing awkwardly on the ground, head first. Venus landed beside him perfectly , flashing a 'V' with her fingers, and tossing his crossbow out of reach.

A soldier patrolling the area nearby rushed over at the sounds of commotion and gaped at the scene before him. "I don't understand." He sputtered uselessly. "I was just over here. I don't know when he got up there."

Venus nodded her head. "It's alright. Get Jupiter, she might still be up. We may need the help."

"Y...yes sir!" he stammered, immediately running for the barracks.

Serenity grasped the back of Rei's shirt firmly in her hands, clearly in awe. "How did you guys _do _that?"

Minako smiled and flipped the would-be assassin over on his back. "That's why the pay us big."

Mars smirked. "They don't pay us at all, Mina."

"They do!" Minako insisted, nudging the unconscious man with her boot. "They just don't pay you."

"Whatever." Rei sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her finger and thumb. "You'd think we'd get a break _once_ in a while." Her shoulder throbbed angrily, and she had to shake off the feeling of panic that ran through her at the memory of Ami's words.

"Can't do that." the blonde muttered absently, slapping the soldier in the face to try and wake him. "You'd get fat and lazy."

"Tch." Mars looked over her shoulder at her princess. "I'm going to help her, ok? You stay behind me. I don't know what he might pull."

Serenity nodded slowly in comprehension, still looking a little frightened.

"Don't worry. You've got both of us right here." Rei said reassuringly.

The small hands on her back tightened their grip, causing the fire solider to chuckle quietly. "Hey. You have to let go you know..."

"But...you don't even have any weapons, or armor..."

"She'll be alright." Venus replied, giving the princess a grin. "I'm more worried about what she'll do to this guy."

"See? So you can let go now." Mars said gently. Serenity released her death grip, and the soldier knelt down next to her leader.

"He's definitely one of our troops." Minako muttered.

"I was afraid of that. It looks like her reach is expanding. Did you kill him?"

Venus frowned. "Of course not. He just bumped his head. Hard."

Mars glared at the soldier on the ground, her anger building. "He's young."

"It's easier to promise young people things, I suppose. Most turncoats are younger. They still think they can have it all."

Mars smirked. "What's wrong with wanting it all?"

Venus gave her a confused look. "What's that supposed to mean? You know we can't have everything."

Rei shook her head. "Sorry. I guess I'm just feeling a bit out of it tonight." she shifted slightly and flexed the fingers in her left arm. "I just hate traitors." She picked up the man's wrist and turned it over, searching for the mark that would identify which brigade he belonged to. "Ugh." she growled in frustration and dropped his limp arm in disgust. "He's one of mine."

Jupiter came tearing across the grounds, still looking rather bleary eyed. "Aw come on." she panted out, once she reached her comrades. "I had just gotten to lay down."

"Sorry, but I need you to get Serenity back inside. I don't want to entrust her to anyone else right now, at least not until we find out what the hell is going on." Minako said, looking rather tired herself.

Makoto eyed the unconscious man, and looked back at Venus. "Aw hell, he's one of ours..."

"Yeah. Which is why I think it would be best if the princess didn't see this." Mars growled.

Jupiter stiffened. She traded a concerned look with Minako, and moved to Serenity's side. "I'll take her in, and leave her with Mercury. But I'll be back out. Just...don't do anything rash Mars."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Do I ever do anything rash?"

Makoto gave her a nervous grin and took the princess' arm. "Come on. I think it's past your curfew Lady."

Venus waited until the pair had moved out of sight, and turned her attention towards her fiery partner. "Maybe we should do this in the morning?"

"No. I'm going to take care of this _now. _No one is gets away with something like this while I'm around." Rei replied, cracking her knuckles.

Minako winced. "He may have been under someone else's influence. It may not have been his fault."

"Yeah, would you be saying something like that had he hit her?"

The blonde fell silent.

"Thought so. Wake up time!" she announced, drawing back her fist and ramming it into the man's cheek.

The young man snapped awake with a howl of pain, clapping his hand over his cheek.

"Much better. Now that you're with us, do be kind and tell me why you were going to shoot our princess."

The man's eyes darted wildly between the women. "Wh...what?"

Mars sighed tiredly. "Look man, you're one of my own, so I know you're not stupid."

He looked at the fire soldier strangely, as though seeing her for the first time. "I was following orders."

"Who's orders?" Venus questioned.

The man flinched. "She should know the answer to that." he replied quietly, pointing a shaky finger at the Martian. "She's following them too."

Mars shot to her feet, yanking the man up by the front of his tunic. "Would you care to rephrase that?" she growled dangerously.

"Who's side are you on anyway?" the soldier whispered, his eyes growing wide. "I can smell her all over you. You're just like me."

Rei swallowed hard, burning holes through the man's eyes with her own. "Venus. I think you should leave."

The blonde stared at Mars in complete confusion, near panic etched over her beautiful features. "What are you talking about? And what is he talking about?? I'm not leaving you here alone!"

"I think you should." Mars replied slowly. "If you stick around for this, you're going to hate me."

"Hate you for what??"

"Things are about to get ugly."

The soldier in her iron grip laughed weakly. "You're going to kill me aren't you?"

Rei shook her head. "I don't know. Depends on how much I can beat you before you lose consciousness again."

His eyes showed no fear as he stared back at her. "Go ahead. The killer in me is the killer in you."

Mars jerked back, as though she had been struck. The helper. Those were the words the helper had spoken to her before. That's what he meant. She must have gotten to him too.

"What did she promise you?" Rei cried, shaking him hard. "What was so wonderful that you were willing to sell your soul?"

"Ask yourself that!" he snapped back. "You're just as guilty! The only difference is, all you have to do is shake on it! So kill me already! I'll save you a seat in Hell, traitor!!!"

Everything in her field of vision went blood red. She threw the man to the ground and jumped on top of him, pounding her fists into his face. Dimly, through her blood soaked haze, she could hear the Helper laughing.

"See? It's all business. How do you like our business, Mars?"

'_Shut up. Just shut up.'_

"Why? You look like you're having so much fun!!"

'_God, why can't I stop?'_

"Because, you'll be one of _them_ soon. It's no longer under your control."

The man's face was no longer recognizable.

'_Why are you doing this to me?'_

"But I didn't do this. You're doing this. All I did was tell that sad little man what he wanted to hear. I needed you to see what you are becoming. I wanted your beloved to see what you are becoming."

'_Oh god, Minako.'_

"That's right. How do you think she likes you now?"

But the fire solider couldn't stop, no matter how hard she fought to regain control of her limbs. Her fists screamed in pain, and her left arm felt as though it were truly on fire. Had she been able to turn her head, she would have checked.

The helper laughed again. "The show is just about over. I'll be seeing you."

Suddenly the Martian's world was upside down. She went blind for what felt like seconds, but had obviously been much, much longer. She snapped back to reality and found Jupiter, Venus, and a very disoriented Uranus holding her down on the ground. Her muscles burned, her head was throbbing, and her fellow soldiers were really starting to get heavy.

"Thank God. I think she's coming out of it!" Venus cried weakly.

"You alright Mars?" Haruka asked thickly, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Wh..." Mars stuttered.

Jupiter let out a relived sigh. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I don't know." Rei admitted weakly.

Her friends released her, and Haruka helped her to her feet. The fire solider could hardly breathe, and her legs were shaking terribly. "Mars...your arm..." the wind soldier said quietly, gesturing to it with a nod of her head.

Mars looked down to discover her left arm, all the way down to her hand, had turned a very unhealthy dark grey.

Her hands were covered in blood. Hers, the soldier's, her friend's, she had no idea, but it looked like she had put up one hell of a fight. Her comrades looked beaten, covered in wounds. When the Martian's eyes landed on Venus, tears sprang to her eyes. The blonde's perfect features were marred by ugly gashes on both sides of her face, but she was still trying to smile, just for her.

Mars fell to her knees, feeling sick. _'_ _I did that. I did it all_.'

Uranus knelt in front of her, taking her swollen, blood soaked fists and wrapping them carefully with strips of cloth. "I don't know what's going on, but I do know for sure that the person who just beat us senseless wasn't you. We'll figure it out, ok? Don't blame yourself."

Mars grasped her arm in a death grip. "Haruka. Listen to me. I need you to do something for me."

"What?" the blonde asked quietly.

"Kill me."

"What??" the others cried in unison.

"You have to!" The fire solider demanded, tears spilling over at last. "Kill me, lock me up, whatever it takes! There is something really dangerous going on inside my head, and I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Haruka threw a glance back at the others helplessly.

"Argh! I hate to say it, but let's just throw her in a cell, at least until we can get Ami down here." Jupiter said, frustration evident in her voice.

"We can't lock her up!" Venus cried.

"Do it!" Mars snapped., vision blurring as her arm began to burn. "I don't want to lose control again!"

Haruka nodded. "Then you'll forgive me for what I'm going to do?"

"Yes." Rei growled out between clenched teeth as her world spun.

The wind soldier whipped a dagger out of her boot and hit Mars on the back of her head with the heavy pommel, effectively knocking her out.

"What the hell are you doing?" Venus cried, pushing Haruka out of the way and catching Rei as she slumped forward.

"Do you want to fight her again?" Uranus asked darkly. "None of us had the stomach to even hit her the first time. This is just to keep her quiet until we know for sure what's going on."

Minako gently pushed dark, damp bangs out of Rei's eyes and kissed her forehead.

'_Whatever it is, we'll beat it.'_


	14. Lockdown

_"You know, you really shouldn't push yourself so hard." Minako said with a smile, leaning over the edge of the bed to watch Rei continue her morning workout. "You'll get wrinkles."_

_"Wrinkles?" Mars repeated, stopping mid pushup to look at the goddess of love._

_"Yes. Wrinkles."_

_"I thought you got wrinkles by worrying," Rei replied, "not by taking care of your body. Therefore, I will look great, and you'll get wrinkles worrying about my wrinkles."_

_The blonde frowned cutely, and the Martian let out a laugh.. "Look at that. I can already see some forming."_

_Minako gasped comically as her hands flew to her face, searching for the aforementioned wrinkle of doom. Finding none, she let out a huff of air and tossed a pillow at the raven haired girl. "You're mean!"_

"_I'm not mean." Mars replied calmly, halting her exercise and retrieving the pillow. "I was just stating the facts. And besides, you started it."_

"_That's a childish answer!" _

"_Childish? No. Childish is throwing things." _

"_Ugh. I was just trying to help you." Venus said with a defeated sigh. "But you know what they say. The road to hell is paved with sharp rocks."_

"_Wait, what?" Mars asked, a bemused smile gracing her features._

"_The road to hell is paved with sharp rocks!" the blonde repeated._

"_I'm pretty sure it's paved with good intentions, but you can pave it with whatever your heart desires. I think almost any girl would be upset to have as many wrinkles as you, so I'll let it slide this time."_

_Minako wrapped the sheet tighter around her nude form and scowled at Rei. "Just for that, you can sleep on the floor tonight."_

"_Um, it's my room."_

"_Not anymore. I invaded, and claimed this land in the name of the great planet Venus! So on the floor with you!"_

"_Oh, that's it!" Mars growled, jumping onto the bed and taking Minako in her arms._

"_Hey! What are you doing? You can't do that! " the blonde protested with a giggle._

"_In the name of the great war planet Mars, I'm taking back what's mine!" _

_-------------------_

Rei opened her eyes slowly as the visions of honey blonde hair faded away. Cold grey stone and iron bars were all that greeted her. She winced as the night's activities came flooding back to her, and tenderly ran her fingers over the swollen lump on the back of her head. A quick glance at her left arm confirmed what she had already feared. Her flesh was still tinged a dark gray, and she wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed to have gotten a few shades darker. Great. And she had honestly thought it had all been a bad dream. Then again, did all of her nightmares end with her sitting in a cell? Judging by the amount of sunlight spilling into the hall outside of her happy little stone box, she guessed it to be late morning, which meant yet another precious day had been pulled out from under her.

'_Oh hey, look at me. I can go a whole twelve hours without killing someone. Too bad they have to knock me unconscious.'_

She pushed herself up into a sitting position, thankful that her friends had been kind enough to deposit her onto a lumpy mattress rather than the floor.

'_Should have dumped me on the floor. I deserve it.'_

Mars clenched her teeth and tried to hold back the tears building behind thick lashes. Of all the times to have a breakdown. Breakdown. Funny word. Breakdown of the mind, breakdown of the soul, breakdown of her relationship, breakdown of her reputation...

She thumped her head hard against the wall behind her out of frustration, and immediately regretted it. The painful knot on her skull reminded her that all was definitely not well.

"Argh! God dammit!" she swore loudly, pressing her hand over her now throbbing goose egg.

"I guess my warning didn't help." came the melancholy voice of Endymion from the cell to her left.

"Shut up, pretty boy. I'm not in the mood." she snapped back.

"Is anyone ever in the mood to be incarcerated?" he questioned lightly.

Rei snickered in spite of herself. "True. I'm really glad I didn't kill you now. Looks like you finally started to develop a personality."

"I've had lots of free time lately."

"You know, I'm really starting to hate that word." the fire solider grumbled.

"What, time?"

"Yeah. I'm making it a note to beat the hell out of Pluto."

The prince laughed quietly. "No offence, but I have my money on her, and besides, I think you girls have beat on each other enough lately."

"So you heard?"

Another quiet laugh. "How could I not? But it's still hard to fathom."

"You're telling me." Mars replied softly. "You know, I'm sorry about the way I treated you before. I can truly say I know what it's like now."

"I hate to say it, but it gets worse."

Rei suddenly felt very ill. "Does it?"

"Yeah."

"Funny. If that were the case, you'd think they'd spilt us up." she commented dryly. "Can you imagine if we both broke out of here? We could raise quite a commotion."

"Maybe they think I'll be a good influence."

She laughed. "Good thing a stone wall separates us. I think I would have punched you for that."

"I don't think I'd mind, because it would mean you're feeling like yourself again."

Mars drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them to help fight off the damp chill the room gave out. "Did the voice really stop for you?"

"Yes it did, thank God."

"All by itself?"

"Yeah, it was just gone, the minute you ladies threw me in here." he replied. "Is yours still spouting nonsense?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't heard it since last night, but I don't think it's done yet. I still feel disconnected."

"Just ignore it." the prince stressed. "Don't give in. She can make everything so much worse than it is now."

"What's worse than beating the person you love?" Mars replied.

"Killing them." he whispered back.

Now the fire solider felt positively sick. Her stomach lurched, and her mind reeled with all the horrors she could commit while under someone else's control. This was really not helping her get a grip on things.

"So what are they going to do to you?" Mars asked quietly.

"I don't know. Probably keep me around until the big fight is over. Either way it goes, I'm pretty sure there's no happy ending for me."

"But I honestly believe you now. I don't think you'd do those things on your own accord."

The prince laughed bitterly. "Yes, because they will take the word of two crazy people as law. You know that old saying, hell is for heroes?"

"Yeah."

"Well, as for people like us, I think we're going someplace much, much worse."

"Alright. I lied. You have no personality." Mars replied darkly.

Endymion fell into a stunned silence for a full minute before bursting out into gales of laughter. The fire solider found herself laughing along with him, to the point where her eyes burned and her sides ached.

"That was depressing, wasn't it?" he gasped out.

"Very much so. And if we keep it up, they're going to _really_ think we're homicidal." Rei muttered.

The prince caught his breath at last, and Mars could practically hear the smile on his face as he spoke.

"You know Mars, I used to think you were a raving lunatic. Now I think you're just a lunatic."

"Shut up." she growled, but the smile on her own face dragged the venom out of her words.

"Maybe in the next life, we'll find a way to get along." he replied thoughtfully. "I think we can understand each other."

"Oh yeah, sure. We can go on dates and everything. It will be wonderful" Mars threw back sarcastically.

They both burst into laughter again, but it was cut short when the main door to the brig creaked open. Rei felt her heart leap into her throat as she rose to her feet, nervously awaiting whatever fate she had coming.

To the fire soldier, it seemed like an eternity had passed in the time it took her to get off of the floor, but she knew in all reality it had taken less than seconds. She was suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of dread and fear as the faint echo of boots clinking down the hall grew closer.

What if she lost control again? She'd never get out of here. Was it Minako? Would the blonde even want to see her after everything that had happened yesterday? She squeezed her eyes shut. Her mind desperately reeled with all the horrid possibilities and outcomes her actions would inspire. To be anywhere, anywhere at all, besides here. Now that was something she would sell her soul for. The muscles in her bad arm jerked dangerously, and Mars felt a rising panic crawl up her spine. Such idle thoughts were dangerous, but then again, was contemplating your doom really an idle thought?

The footsteps paused in front of her cell. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest, and she knew she would have to open her eyes for the sake of her well being. Not knowing was driving her to madness.

"You should calm down, Mars. I'm not here to harm you."

'_Neptune.' _Violet eyes slowly opened, and her heart plummeted to her feet. _'Where's Minako? Is she alright? Why isn't she here?' _A sickening thought struck her suddenly. '_Maybe she really doesn't want to see you.' _Her fists clenched involuntarily, nails digging into calloused flesh. Her arms shook, and she was unawares of the thin ribbons of blood oozing between her fingers, pooling on the floor.

"Rei. Calm down."

"I AM CALM!!" Mars snarled back, abruptly jarred back to reality by the sound of her own voice. Her eyes met the water soldier's, and she took an unconscious step back. '_Oh my God.'_

Neptune looked at her impassively, and wordlessly dropped her eyes to the fire soldier's hands. Rei unclenched her fists and stared blankly at the wounds her nails had carved into her palms, and found with a small sense of growing discomfort that she felt wholly unaffected by the self mutilation.

"That's why she's not here." the aqua haired woman said gently. "How do you think she'd handle this?"

Rei nodded numbly, still transfixed by her hands.

"She's the leader of the guard. We need her thinking clearly. It does us no good to have two of our best down and out."

Mars eyed her sharply. "Does it matter? We're going to die anyway."

Michiru shook her head. "Now I know that's not you talking."

"Who else would it be?"

"I wonder." The older woman commented dryly.

"What do you want?" Rei asked hollowly. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure. I came down just to check on your well-being. The Queen has already been here, while you were out. Try as they might, neither she nor Mercury were able to find a way to pull the tainted blood out of you."

"So you all know then?"

"I don't really think Mercury had any other option, Rei. We had to know what was going on."

The fire soldier laughed darkly. "So I'm going to rot here until the beast takes over?"

"I didn't say that." Neptune responded calmly. "We just need to find a way to help you control it."

Mars felt a rush of blood to her head, and her world flashed an ominous red. She struggled desperately to get a hold of herself, but the anger and frustration that had built up inside of her would not allow it. She pressed her hand to her face weakly as she felt her consciousness taking a back seat to darker impulses.

'_No. No. Not now.' _Her eyes searched Michiru's frantically, looking for help, hope, maybe even death, but it was too late. Her body jerked stiffly, and Rei had the oddest sense of feeling disjointed and disconnected, almost as if she were watching herself in a dream, unable to wake up.

"And who's going to keep me in here?" Rei asked Michiru in a voice that wasn't hers. "You?"

"If I have to."

Without warning, Mars threw herself against the iron bars with all of her force, growling when her dark energy conflicted with the pure energy of the seal the Queen had placed on her cell. She was thrown back against the opposite wall, body smoking. Violet eyes filled with a hatred Neptune had never seen fixed themselves on her, regarding her coldly.

"You're going to die for that."

Neptune smiled. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that line, and yet, here I stand."

Mars approached the water soldier again, using all of her energy to wrap her hands around the bars of her cell, ignoring the smoldering pain that ran through her.

"I'll get out of here, and then you'll answer to me."

Neptune was undaunted. "Who are you?"

"Just one of the many. Hell's a rather depressing place, but I think I like it here. This girl can't fight me forever. Her heart is full of darkness, so it's no wonder that the accursed silver light can't reach it." Mars grinned darkly. "Just a little more. Once I hit full strength, you will all die."

"Unlikely." Michiru replied, drawing herself into a battle stance as the bar in the fire soldier's hand began to crumble.

Rei watched the scene unfolding before her eyes, but felt powerless to stop it. '_Is this how it ends? Is this the end result of everything we've been through? Did I come this far just to watch myself kill everyone?'_

Her mind flashed back to an image of Minako, smiling contentedly in her sleep as she snuggled into Rei.

'_No. Not like this.'_

Neptune blinked in surprise as the hand wrapped so firmly around the bars was snatched back. "Stubborn girl." the voice coming out of Mars hissed. "You can't hold me back forever!" The hand balled itself into a fist, and the water soldier let out a gasp of shock as she watched Rei punch herself with extreme force in the solar plexus.

"Shut up." Rei muttered weakly, falling to her knees, very relieved to be back in control at last. "I'm getting so tried of everyone telling me what to do."

"Mars! Are you alright??" Michiru cried worriedly.

Mars gave her a tired smile, and flashed her Minako's sign for victory with her fingers. "Just going to take a nap." she wheezed out, wishing to god she could just see Venus again as her world turned black.

--------------------

The fire soldier awoke several hours later. Her cell had gone dark, a sign the sun had already made it's journey through the sky. A cool hand pressed a damp cloth to her forehead, the owner humming soothingly.

"Princess?" Mars rasped weakly. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe."

Serenity laughed. "Please. I've technically owned your soul for a lot longer than that poor excuse for a demon. If he has a problem with it, he can speak to me personally."

Rei decided not to argue. Just being around the princess had calmed her nerves, and she wasn't about to get all tensed up again. "Are you angry with me?" she asked quietly.

"No. I know the Rei that I know would never do anything like that. I'm just really worried. We all are."

"Is...is Minako..."

"She's alright." Serenity promised with a smile. "She'd be here herself, but the others decided against it."

"But they let you come in here?"

"Not exactly. But I am a princess. Can't disobey a royal command, can you?"

"I suppose not. Scary, how your mind works sometimes."

"I know." the princess replied cheerfully, taking one of Rei's hands in her own. Surprisingly deft fingers made swift work of the strips of cloth her hands were wrapped in and replaced the bandages. "Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Serenity nodded and rose to her feet. "I better get going. I've been here for awhile, and if I know Makoto, she's worn a hole in the floor from pacing."

Rei nodded wearily.

"Oh!" The princess dropped back to her knees. "I almost forgot." She took the fire soldier's face in her delicate hands and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "That's from Minako."

Mars swallowed hard as tears sprang to her eyes. "Thank you."

Serenity smiled warmly and placed a kiss on her opposite cheek. "And that's from me. Take care of yourself. And don't worry. We'll think of something!"

"We always do." Mars responded numbly. That was it. She knew exactly what she had to do now. Her heart beat painfully in her chest, and it took everything she had in her not to cry. This may very well be the last time. Is that all she could think of saying? No words of wisdom to bestow upon her princess? No pleas for forgiveness?

"Exactly." Serenity rapped on the bars, and Jupiter appeared seemingly out of nowhere, letting the door slide open far enough for the princess to slip out. Makoto gave Rei a small wave, and a sad smile.

"Just hold tight Mars."

"Take care of her. I don't expect to be in here forever, so that means you can't slack off." Rei replied with false bravado.

Jupiter nodded, and as swiftly as they had come, they were gone. Endymion was silent, and Mars supposed he was locked in his own dark musings. She leaned her head back against the wall tenderly, and closed her eyes, not really surprised even when the helper's mocking voice sprang forth from the dark.

"Ooooh, are we having fun yet?"

"Shut up." Rei muttered quietly. "I'm ready to make a deal."

"I thought so. So cut the long face. Everything will be fine now. I _promise._"


	15. Toy Soldier

-**---------------------**

**9 days**

-------------------

"So, let's discuss the terms of your 'employment' with us, shall we?"

Mars stared off into the smothering darkness, feeling for the first time like she should have never been born. All the high-horsed speeches and declarations of traitors being cowards she had made flittered across her mind briefly. Pretty damned self righteous. She hadn't failed to grasp the irony of her predicament. Contradictions and broken promises, that's all she would be good for now. The soldier stamped those thoughts out quickly, for they certainly wouldn't help now. If she could turn this around, and somehow find a way to save everyone, wouldn't it be worth it? She had always thought she'd be one to die with her pride and convictions in tact, well, so much for that. The prince had been right. Hell was for heroes. Mars smirked. Good thing she wasn't going to be a hero anymore.

She found her voice at last, and tried not to think of the hurt look her actions would bring to Minako's eyes. "You pull this beast out of me. I know you can."

"Agreed."

"Next rule. No one touches the people I love. If I find so much as a single hair on any one of them harmed, we're going to have problems. Big problems."

"Now Mars, I've been offering that since the beginning. I've just been waiting for you to take it, but you were too busy rambling on about how you'd _never_ betray them."

"Spare me." the fire soldier growled. "I'm doing this strictly for them, because I couldn't live with myself if I were the one to hurt them. So save the crap."

"Oooh, testy." Her guest let out a long, suffering sigh. "I suppose we can manage that, _if _you behave."

Mars choked down her own snide remark, and swallowed hard. "I want the chance to say goodbye."

Mocking laughter stung the fire soldier's pride. "How ridiculous! Some warrior you are!"

"We keep this up, and the only thing that's going to be ridiculous is how fast I destroy everything. If that truly was your goal all along, you people would have done so. So why wait? You must want something."

"I think we've seen enough blood Mars, wouldn't you agree? But it would be fun to watch you beat the hell out of Blondie. Hm, domestic violence aside, it's nice to see the true darkness in your soul. Gives me warm, fuzzy feelings deep inside, and do you know why? Because it shows me that you were never one of them."

Rei felt sick. Venus had become her lifeline, and the only thing she could seem to focus on lately. If anything happened to her, Mars knew she would lose what little grasp she had on reality. If she lost that, especially by her own hand, God only knew what she would do.

"I was one of them." Mars said quietly. "Apparently you've never been human."

"I was, and it was overrated. Oh well, if you're so set on it, I'll give you what you want. I'll let you say goodbye to one person, and if I so much as even think you're going to back out of our deal, I'll snap my fingers and you'll slaughter the lot of them." the helper replied cheerily. "We can't have you breaking any promises."

Mars nodded in the affirmative, and tried to control the urge to throw up. Broken promises. There they were again. What was she thinking? This was a bad idea. A horribly bad idea. But frankly, they were running out of options. Endymion had been right about one thing, selling your soul to save someone you love may not be noble, but it beat standing back and watching them die.

"Second thoughts, Pyro?"

"Don't you **ever** call me that again."

The helper laughed. "In about a day, you'll let me call you whatever the hell I want to call you."

Rei's stomach churned. Yep. Definitely a horrible idea. She swallowed her heart, and tried to sound confident. "No second thoughts."

"Good. Now maybe we can discuss my terms?"

"I'm all ears." Mars commented dryly.

"After I pull the monster out, you say your God-awful goodbye, or whatever it is you need to do, . Then you'll be brought to me, here in the Dark Kingdom, where we'll make sure you become one of us. The dark energies you have in you now are nothing compared to what we provide, so there is no turning back. I hope you don't have any foolish notions of trying to keep control and backstab us, because it just won't work. Besides, I don't want to go through all the extra effort of having you kill all the people you love, nice and slow. Takes forever, you know?"

The Martian tried to hold onto her courage, clinging to it desperately. She was really starting to have her doubts. What if this didn't work? What if, under their control, she came back and killed everyone anyway, despite any agreements? So many things could go horribly wrong, but Rei felt like this was her last chance. It may be better than rotting in this cell, waiting for something else to drive her into a homicidal rage. "Just out of curiosity." She asked at last. "Why me? Why didn't you go after anyone else?"

"Your heart is the darkest."

Rei sighed in defeat. "Great. Just great. And why did you release him?" she asked, gesturing in Endymion's direction with a nod of her head.

"To be quite honest, I was having so much more fun with you. The level of hatred in your heart made him look like a saint. I wonder whatever happened to you to twist your views."

Mars laughed bitterly. "I guess you don't know everything." Funny, but comforting. Very comforting.

"I guess you'll see. You'll like it here with me, Mars. It's been along time, and I've been dying to see you again in person."

"What? We've met?"

"Oh yes. But we'll save it for when you're here. So. Do we have a deal?"

Rei swore she could hear Satan laughing somewhere nearby. She rose on unsteady legs, and prayed to anyone that was listening that this would work.

The helper burst into giggles. "Prayers won't help where we're going."

Mars fixed her face into a snarl. "Don't get cute."

"Alright, alright. Do we have a deal?"

The Martian took a deep breath to steady herself, focusing her energy into her center to stay calm. "Yes. Yes we do." She wondered how much she'd change. Would she remember everything? Would her heart still beat? When did everything get so horribly screwed up? Tears stung her eyes. It just wasn't fair. She had come so far, and done so much. All the blood, sweat, and tears she had poured into her beliefs were nothing now. She had given up so easily, right when she had found something really worth fighting for.

"Perfect!!"

As soon as the word left the helper's mouth, Mars fell to the floor in excruciating pain. She swore she could feel all her bones breaking, and she couldn't even open her mouth to scream. She felt cold fingers, like the hands of death, on her shoulder, pushing into her flesh, passing through skin and soft tissue. The icy hand gripped onto something, her heart, her spine, she wasn't sure anymore, and pulled hard. Everything burned, and all the warrior could do was squeeze her eyes shut and ride it out.

After several agonizing moments, she heard something snap, and it suddenly felt as though all the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders. Something hit the wall behind her with a sickly thud that rocked the cell, and she shook her head blearily. The world swirled back into focus, and the pain was slowly ebbing away. The door to her cell was wide open, but no one had come to check out the commotion yet.

She stood up slowly, checking her body over. No horns, no tail, and she wasn't bleeding to death. Her thoughts were still her own, and her left arm had returned to it's natural color. The wound in her shoulder had disappeared completely, but long, finger sized bruises covered the skin where her wound had been.

"No worries little warrior." the helper's voice echoed faintly in the back of her mind. "You haven't been corrupted yet. But just remember, you pull something, and you'll have that demon rammed into you so fast it'll knock you off your feet.

"I know that." Mars hissed.

Her eyes traveled around the cell, and she was horrified to discover the remains of a very grotesque monster splattered all over the far wall.

"See? That could have been you!" The helper announced cheerily. "He's quite the looker, isn't he?"

From what was spread all over the wall, Mars could gather that it was a large dog of some point, with thick horns coming out of what was left of it's head, and thousands of needle sharp teeth. One large yellow eye stared through the fire soldier vacantly, and it's thick, foul smelling blood covered the room. Bone and slimy entrails littered the floor, and it took all she had in her not to retch.

She swallowed hard. No wonder she had such a hard time controlling it. It was a beast from the very gates of hell. The helper chuckled. "I went through a lot to yank that bastard out, so you better appreciate it."

"Please. Just shut up already." Rei mumbled weakly.

"Whatever. Go do your sappy little crap. Ten minuets, and you're out of here. Do you understand me?"

"Ten minutes?" she snapped back angrily.

"Hey, you never specified a time. It's _my_ show now."

Mars wanted to cry. "Just go."

The helper obliged, and the soldier was alone with her thoughts at last. She had absolutely no clue about where she should go, or what she should do. She was now no better than the monsters she had spent her life killing, but all she could think about was her lover, and it stung. One thing was for certain though, judging by the sounds of distant voices. She couldn't stay here.

She bolted out of her cell, pausing briefly in front of Endymion's.

"What the hell is going on? What was all that noise?? How did you get out??"

She shook her head at the fallen prince. "I don't have time. But I need you to do me a favor and deliver a message."

"What?"

"My friends. Tell them, it's always darkest before dawn."

"What?? Mars, tell me you didn't!"

A man's voice at the end of the hall startled her, and her head snapped in it's direction nervously. "Look! They want me, not them. That damn woman told me so herself. She keeps talking about the darkness of my heart. If I get away from here, you people might just stand a chance. So do it! Tell them!! Promise me!!!"

"I promise." he whispered, his voice hard.

"They'll understand. They _have _to." she responded absently, meeting the man's eyes. "You'll understand too. I have to go."

"Mars! Wait!" Endymion cried plaintively, but she was already gone.

----------------------

Venus awoke with a start, more than a little surprised to find Mars standing over her. "Rei! What are you doing here? Did something happen??"

The warrior smiled sadly and sat on the edge of Minako's bed, taking one of the blonde's hands in her own. "Everything will be alright. I promise. Just remember that."

"What are you talking about?" Venus asked sleepily, obviously confused. "Wait. How did you get out??"

Rei stiffened visibly. "Mina, please, I need you listen. I'm short on time now."

The blonde sat up, and Mars saw for the first time the full extent of the damage she had done to the face she loved so much. The dark bruise and faint cuts gouged through her very soul and scarred her heart. What else could she possibly do to hurt this woman that she loved so much? Yet, here she was, well on her way to beating her down emotionally.

The fire soldier turned her head away quickly as tears sprang to her eyes. _'I'm doing the right thing. This confirms it.' _Minako laid a hand on the raven-haired woman's cheek, and gently guided Rei's face back towards her. "Don't cry. Please don't cry Rei."

Mars felt her heart stop as she looked into beautiful, trusting blue eyes. "Mina, I'm so sorry." she choked out as guilt riddled her soul full of holes.

"Don't be." the blonde replied quietly. "You didn't do it. I know you wouldn't do anything like this."

Horrible doubts whispered dangerous things to the contrary, and Rei wrapped her arms around Minako and pulled her as close as she could, holding her tightly. She buried her face into the mass of golden locks and let out a shaky breath, wishing she could stay here, just like this, for a thousand years. Just having the warmth of her love so close again, after what felt like eternity down in that damp cell, was more than she could ever ask for. Letting go was going to drive her mad.

"Rei," Minako murmured at last, nuzzling her face against the soldier's neck. "Please. Tell me what's going on. I want to help you."

"No one can help me now." Mars whispered faintly, kissing the top of the blonde's head.

"Hm?"

"I love you Mina. I love you so much, I think it's going to break my heart. You have to remember that, no matter what."

"What are you talking about?" Venus asked worriedly.

Mars shook her head mutely and tipped the blonde's head up, capturing those sweet lips with her own. Her taste, her scent, Rei wanted to etch it all firmly in her mind. It may very well be the last time she would get the chance. Her heart hammered in her chest so hard, she thought for sure it would rupture. Why did it all have to come down to this? After everything she had done, what made her think she deserved this last tender moment? Mars ran trembling hands through soft silk, caressing the smooth skin of the blonde's back. It was time to go Time, time, time. If her heart weren't breaking, she was positive she would have laughed. She pulled away slowly, rising to her feet again, looking into those confused cerulean eyes all the while, knowing that the next time she saw them, they would be filled with nothing but hatred for her.

"Funny." Mars murmured faintly. "All I have are screams inside, but when I look at you, they grow silent."

Minako caught the haunted look in her eyes and grabbed her hand. "Listen Rei. For so long, I've lived my whole life with my sole purpose being only for the protection of my princess, and for the safety of my fellow soldiers. You, me, the others, we're the armor, and the princess is our heart. I had no idea I would ever find someone like you, to help share the burden and the pain that that entails. And yet, despite all that duty, you still manage to be so full of warmth and love, just for me. I don't want to lose that, so let me help you! You know I love you, so talk to me!"

"I'm sorry." Rei replied, voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. Maybe someday I'll see a spark of forgiveness in your eyes." She gently removed her hand from the blonde's grip, and stepped back.

"Wait!" Minako cried, her tone edging on complete panic. "Where are going??"

"Someplace where I'll be regretting this, every single day of my life." Mars choked out, squeezing her eyes shut when the blonde flew up off of the bed and threw her arms around her.

"Goodbye Mina." Rei whispered, shuddering as the sensation of dark energy wrapped around her. "Take care of her."

Before the blonde could even blink, Mars was gone.

-----------------------

She landed face first in an unceremonious heap on hard tile flooring, elaborately colored, making a beautiful swirled pattern on the ground. How nice. Who knew the dark side had a decorator? _'Ugh. Is now honestly the time to be thinking of that?' _

Crash and burn, down in flames. But she was still breathing, despite the horrible ache in her chest. She tried unsuccessfully to push all things Minako out of her mind. Focus. Had to focus. She shook her head hard. Now was not the time for stupid thoughts. She had to remain on her toes.

She pushed herself up, getting to her feet nervously. She hadn't been attacked, and she wasn't dead. A plus maybe? Her eyes tried to scan the large empty room she found herself in, but the lack of lighting made it difficult. She tried to remember that she had a reason for this, that she was trying to fulfill an ultimate purpose, but all she could think about was her blonde. Her bones ached, and her heart felt heavy. Never in all her life had she felt so tired and old.

Footsteps echoed lightly behind her, signaling that she wasn't alone. She could tell by the gait that it was a woman, but she had yet to find the courage to turn around and face the person who had tormented her for so long.

"Good. I'm glad I didn't have to punish you. You were always such a petulant child, I was actually a little worried."

That voice. The one that had haunted her for days on end. So familiar, yet so murky to her memory. She steeled herself mentally, reminding herself that this was for all the people she loved. She wished to God she had remembered to grab her weapon.

"Turn around Rei. I want to see how much you've grown."

She braced herself one last time and turned slowly, choking down her fears. Her jaw dropped in disbelief and her heart hit her feet. "I...Impossible!!"

The woman smiled. "Is it?"

"Mother..."

"Been awhile, hasn't it?"

"I thought you were dead..." Mars murmured weakly. She had no idea what to even think anymore. Her world had been flipped over, turned inside out, and thrown into a tangled mess at her feet. Her mind flashed back to her home world, and to the first war. Horrible images of carnage and mass murder flittered across her brain, but there was one thing she was sure of. Her mother was dead. She remembered finding her body... "No." Rei said aloud, snapping back to reality. "You're dead. This is a trick. You're _not_ her."

If it was a trick, it was a damn good one. She looked just like the woman Mars could recall from her memories. Long ebony locks, porcelain skin, soft, delicate features. Her eyes were even the same shade as the soldier's. She was long, willowy, and beautiful, where little Rei had always been clumsy and bruised.

"You're right. I was dead, but I was given a second chance at life."

"So you chose this?? What kind of chance is that??" the soldier cried.

"Watch your words little warrior. You chose this too."

"That...that's different..." Mars floundered uselessly.

"How? I did it for the people I love, you being one of them. Wasn't that your reason too?" the woman pointed out coolly.

"I don't understand. If you were brought back, why didn't you come to me sooner? I could have helped you! Honestly, what kind of mother would put their child through all of this??"

"Everything has a price, and I think it's time you started paying yours."

The fire soldier dropped her hands to her side, defeated. This was all so twisted. Had she really expected to keep her mind in check? She had given up everything for this?

"Don't worry. We'll talk when this is over." her mother said reassuringly, but the words sounded hollow to Rei's ears. She wanted to laugh, or cry, maybe even scream. Hell. Maybe she should just do all three. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.

"I need a drink."

"In good time. For now, I want you to recall everything you remember from your time on Mars."

"Why?" Rei asked tiredly.

"We need you to remember where you came from."

"What's all this 'we' crap?"

Her mother sighed. "Manners, manners. We'll have to work on that too."

Mars scowled darkly, squeezing her eyes shut. It was too surreal. None of this made any sense at all! A hot wind blew across her face, and her eyes fluttered open in surprise. She was shocked to find herself standing on home soil, back on her home world. The city in front of her was spread out majestically, just the way she had remembered back before the war.

"It's not real." she breathed. "It's not. It can't be."

The scene shifted rapidly, and she was in her family's palace, in the throne room. A door slammed nearby, and she spun on her heels, floored to see a mini five year old version of herself come tearing into the room.

The little girl tripped on the edge of a long red carpet, and landed face first on the hard marble floor. Rei winced absently, remembering the pain. Without thinking, she raised her hand to her face and covered her nose. "Bloody nose." she murmured. "I tripped, and had a bloody nose." A cold chill ran down her spine, and she shuddered uncontrollably. This day. She could remember now. "Oh God..."

Sure enough, little Rei rose to her feet, and upon seeing the massive blood flow, burst into tears.

Mars was sure something in her head was going to explode. Impossible. Just impossible. Her hands clenched into fists, and her arms shook as she watched herself cry.

A hand on her shoulder got her attention. "What, does it make you angry to see yourself cry?" her mother questioned.

"I don't want to see this." Rei rasped out weakly. "I don't need to see this. Stop it. Now."

A ghostly image of her mother flitted into the room now, and scooped Rei up in her arms, murmuring words of comfort and dabbing at her bloody nose with the hem of her dress.

"You'll ruin your dress." both versions of Rei mumbled out.

"Oh, nonsense. I can buy another one. But we can't buy you another nose, so be careful. No more running in the palace! I mean it!"

The child nodded her head eagerly and rubbed her eyes dry on the sleeve of her shirt.

Her mother laughed and rolled her eyes. "So ladylike."

The ground shook under their feet, and Mars felt her stomach drop. "The attack. This is when it started."

Please. I don't want to see it, not again..."

She watched the vision of her mother pick her daughter up and run from the room frantically, calling for the nearby guards. Her father met the pair half way and pulled them into a bear hug.

Mars jerked visibly. Her father. She had almost forgotten what he had looked like. Thick dark hair, so much like her own. Tall, broad shouldered, well built, but his eyes, even in their panicked state, had a gentle warmth. The lord of war, as some had called him.

"We have to get the two of you out of here. That witch is attacking with her entire force, and our allies still haven't sent any help."

"Even the Moon??" her mother cried helplessly.

"Those damn peace lovers. I warned them! It's too late now!!" the king boomed angrily. Little Rei trembled visibly.

"Hey," her father said gently, "I need you to be a big girl and watch out for your mother, alright?" He ruffled her hair affectionately and gazed at his wife. "You two get down to the shelter. We'll hold them off for as long as we can, but if they're storming the capitol, that means we're seriously outnumbered. Make an escape as soon as you're able."

Once more, the scene shifted violently. Her father lay dead in the throne room, completely disemboweled. A few stray patrolmen from the dark kingdom roamed the halls, searching for survivors. Her mother entered the room from a hidden doorway, looking frazzled and tired, still carrying Rei. At the gruesome sight of her husband, she gasped aloud and covered the little girl's eyes with her hand. Bodies littered the floor in all directions.

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing baby." she choked on a sob. "Just keep your eyes closed, ok?"

"Hey!! Over here! I found one!!" a man's voice cried from the hallway.

Her mother rushed back to the passageway and stuffed Rei inside. "No matter what, don't you come out until it's really quiet ok? Then I want you to find a way to go to the moon, and let them know what happened here today. Be brave. No tears. We love you, remember that." she said in a hushed tone, casting nervous glances over her shoulder.

The girl tried to protest, but her mother slammed the door. She then grasped the arm of a dead solider and dragged him to the wall, propping him against the small, hidden door to keep it closed.

Mars could remember well enough what happened next. Two men burst into the room and grasped her mother by the arms, dragging her out into the hall, her screams piercing the heavy air.

The scene shifted again, and a scared frightened Rei roamed the smoldering remains of the palace, tears striking her dirty face. She wandered down the man hall, and caught sight of her mother's limp form, sprawled across the floor. The little girl burst into anxious sobs and ran to the corpse, screaming.

"Don't bother." Mars whispered aloud. "It's only going to hurt worse." She was mildly shocked to find that tears pricked her eyes once more. "All these years. I thought I had gotten past this."

"You were _five." _Her mother said calmly.

"Why do I have to go through this again?" Rei asked plaintively.

"I wanted you to know that all of this could have been prevented, had the moon just sent some help."

Mars was trembling visibly. "If Beryl hadn't attacked, it wouldn't have happened either. But look where we are."

Her mother shook her head. "But, if the moon hadn't promised help that never came, we would have negotiated. We may be from the war planet, but we're not stupid. We thought, with help, that we would have stood a fighting chance. But it _never came._ They waited until their precious little Kingdom was under siege, and _then_ it was time to whip out the crystal and seal Beryl."

A startled scream from the little girl snapped Rei's attention back to the vision. Her mother had been brutally beaten, and was soaked in blood. A sword jutting from her abdomen pinned her to the floor. Blood. So much blood.

The commotion coming from the little girl brought one of the very few remaining enemy soldiers tearing around the corner. Upon seeing Rei, he grinned wickedly and licked his muzzle. A demon.

The girl scrambled wildly across the hall, hiccupping weakly and picking up the hilt of a broken sword. "Stay away from my mom!" she demanded as fiercely as she could manage.

The demon chuckled at her. "You shouldn't play with that little girl. You'll lose an eye."

"Burn in hell!" the five year old retorted, struggling to hold the remains of the heavy blade upright. The monster curled his face into an angry snarl and pulled a dagger out of his belt. He charged at her, rage blinding him, but the child stood firm, taking a protective stance in front of her mother's body.

He dove at her, heavy arms grasping her and bring her down to the floor hard. The girl was slammed into hard marble flooring, knocking the air from her lungs. Without thinking, as a mouthful of teeth threatened to end her life, Rei lashed the broken blade out desperately with a force that was impossible for a being her size, catching the beast in the jugular. Hot blood sprayed everywhere, completely drenching the girl, head to toe. With a dying gasp, the demon thrust her dagger down sharply, sliding through the girl's abdomen.

Mars cringed internally. Just watching it made her want to throw up. She could almost feel the searing pain in her stomach all over again, and her heart jerked as she watched herself struggle to push the demon off. At last she had worked herself free, but at a price. As the child crawled towards her mother, dragging herself along the blood soaked floor, her wound split wide open.

The soldier tried not to look, but she couldn't tear her eyes away as the girl screamed in torment. The child looked back, horrified to see her entrails oozing on the floor, dragging along behind her. She had gone into shock now, trembling violently as she used the last of her strength to climb over bodies and finally collapse at her dead mother's side.

"Stop." Mars cried weakly. "Stop. I've seen enough."

"If they had only sent some help." Her mother replied sadly. "Look at how my baby has suffered."

The fire soldier fell to her knees, bursting into sobs. She had tried so hard to forget. All the pain, all the violence. How did she manage to survive? She should have died that day, but she had survived, and for what? More violence, more death. Everything had become so meaningless.

Minako's voice suddenly echoed in her mind. _"So, what's you childhood trauma anyway? Why do you have to be so serious all the time?"_

"And what do you think she'd say if she knew you had killed your first man by the age of _five?" _

Mars snapped her eyes back towards her mother. "I...I don't know..."

"I don't think she'd understand Rei. I'm the only one who understands what it's like. I was there with you, she wasn't. She'd probably look down on you, they all would. No one knew the pain and suffering you've been through. They just wanted you to fight, and give even more of your blood. All the moon people are like that."

"No, they're not." Rei replied wearily, suddenly feeling very old, and very tired.

"Oh? Then why keep it from everyone? You were ashamed right? You were afraid of what those peace lovers would think of you. Tell me Rei. What kind of peace lovers need _that_ many guards? Where were they when you were fighting so hard??"

"I don't know." she replied dumbly. Everything was starting to feel really heavy, and hazy. She was struggling with all her might to keep her eyes open, but was losing the fight rapidly.

Her mother smiled. "Sleep."

Mars frowned, and tried to respond with a witty retort, but could come up with nothing. Her vision blurred as she slumped to the floor, dimly aware of the fact that her mother had knelt down beside her, wrapping her in comforting arms.


	16. Giving in

---------------

'My heart is the worst weapon.'

---------------

_"Why are you sitting all by yourself?"_

_Rei frowned. She had no unearthly idea why this strange girl felt the need to ask so many questions. She was actually quite content to sit in the grass by herself, watching the other children play. But every time she tried to have a little quiet time, this girl would follow her every move, and ask strange questions. Couldn't she ever be quiet? A slight frown graced her features. Maybe if she ignored the weird blonde, she'd find someone else to bother._

_No such luck. _

"_What's your name?"_

_No reply._

"_What's the matter? Don't you have one?"_

"_Can you talk? I knew this one girl once back on my planet, but she couldn't talk, so everyone had to make hand gestures to talk to her, and it was really hard to remember everything, but I tried really hard., and I learned to say three different things, only I can't remember them now, so I don't know if I can help! Oh no! What will we do if you can't talk??"_

_At this last statement, the little blonde looked fairly stressed indeed, as if the whole universe's existence hinged on Rei saying something to prove she wasn't mute._

_The dark haired girl eyed the blonde over. She wore a frilly little dress, and adorning her long golden hair was a ridiculously large red bow. In her arms she clutched a tattered stuffed bear with one missing eye, and a rather large rip going down one leg._

_She looked as though every day of her life had been just perfect._

_Rei decided at that point that it would be best if she said nothing at all. She had only been here on the moon for two days, but already, all she wanted to do was go home. These people were strange, and she didn't like the way some of the staff whispered when she walked past. She _really _didn't like the way everyone smiled at her, like they were all sad for her or something. The queen was constantly trying to hug her, and the little princess was always talking, nonstop. Now she had this wierdo following her. _

_If only she had a home to go back to. Tears prickled her eyes at the thought of her parents. No. She couldn't cry. She had promised her mom that she wouldn't cry, and that she would tell the moon people what happened on Mars. But as she looked at the perfect little girl in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder what they would all think of her. They'd probably laugh at her for being a baby, or worse, punish her for not being able to take care of her mother. Yes. It was best to not say anything, because she had no where else to go. _

_The blonde plopped down into the grass next to her and smiled. "You know, it's ok if you can't talk. I'll still be your friend." _

_Rei dropped her eyes to the ground and studied her hands intently. There were still dark brown traces of blood around her fingernails. One of the ladies in the moon palace had finally cornered her and dumped her into a bath, muttering something about poor war orphans. She had seemed dead set on scrubbing all of the brown smudges off of Rei's hands, no matter how much she squirmed._

_Funny. When the lady saw that she couldn't get it all off, she had cried. Rei wished she knew why. If she could make grown-ups cry that easily, what could she do to other kids?_

"_My name is Minako." the blonde chirped happily. She held up the rather beaten bear by an arm. "And this is Mister Booboo Alfred Whitmore Sprinkle Sparkle the Third." she gave a self satisfied nod, and leaned close to Rei's ear. "We don't talk about what happened to the other two bears. It makes Mister the Third upset." she whispered seriously. _

_Rei blinked, taken aback. She gave the blonde another once over, and then did the same to the bear, before bursting into laughter. "No way..."_

"_Heeeey! You can talk!" Minako declared happily. "Why didn't you say so before?"_

"_I don't know." Rei admitted, frowning slightly._

"_It's ok. What's your name?"_

"_I don't have one."_

"_What are you talking about?" Minako asked, clearly confused. "Everyone has a name." she shook her bear for emphasis. "Look at him! He has five!"_

"_Yeah, well, that's because you're weird."_

"_I'm not weird. The Queen says I'm a character, whatever that means." Minako replied, face scrunching up in thought._

"_Maybe it's a nice way of saying you're weird?"_

_The blonde laughed, and Rei felt a little better, though she couldn't understand why._

"_I like you. You're funny. You should really tell me your name."_

"_What if I don't want to?" _

"_Well, I can just go ask the Queen. She'll tell me." Minako retorted, sticking out her tongue._

_Oh great, in trouble already. She sighed, and swallowed her fear. "Rei."_

"_Hello Rei!" the blonde said with a bright smile. "Now that we know you can talk, let's go play with the other kids. Watching is boring!"_

_The raven haired girl nodded slowly, and the funny feeling in her gut warned her that every time she saw that smile on the blonde from now on, she was going to get into trouble._

_--------------------------_

Mars gasped, the extreme pain in her skull snapping her awake. She writhed in agony, clutching her head in her hands.

"Don't fight it. It hurts less if you just give in."

'_Fight it?? Fight what??' _The soldier slammed her head back , and absently noted that she was no longer on the pretty colored floor. Something soft was cushioning her skull and rubbing her shoulders soothingly, but it certainly didn't help the pain. Her blood burned in her veins, as though it were made of pure fire.

"Just a few moments more. I promise."

'_Minako. Oh God, I want to see Minako.'_

Once more, her world went dark.

-----------------------------

"_So what do you want to be when you grow up?" Minako asked with a grin, pausing in her digging to take a long swig of water from a dusty canteen._

"_I don't know. Maybe supreme ruler of the universe. I haven't really decided." Rei grunted, dropping her own shovel. "And that's a rather pointless question, don't you think?" the blonde shrugged in response, taking another sip. "Hey, don't drink all of it." Mars said grumpily, swiping the canteen._

_The blonde rolled her eyes. "Honestly. There's plenty here. And how is this supposed to help our training? Just what are we digging anyway??" _

_Rei smirked. "That's what we get for taking orders from a talking hairball." She raised her eyes to the rim of the enormous hole she and Minako had dug themselves into. Hn. Had to be at least twelve feet deep._

"_I heard that." Artemis interjected, his tone slightly hurt. "You're not digging anything special. It's just good exercise for your back, and it builds good upper arm strength.. Your arms are getting flabby._

_Minako grinned. "Come down here and say that."_

"_No way." the feline huffed from his perch on the hole's edge. "And you've been spending way too much time with Rei."_

"_Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" the raven haired girl growled._

"_It means that you've got a bad attitude." the blonde replied with a laugh._

"_Yeah, well what's that say about you?" Rei retorted. "He is also implying that you've picked up on some of my bad traits."_

"_Hey, I'm just an impressionable teenager. You need to stop being so...um...pressionable."_

"_What? That's not even a WORD." _

"_Yeah, well, just shut up!" the blonde stammered, blushing faintly._

_Rei eyed her strangely. "Why are you getting all embarrassed?"_

"_I'm not! It's just hot. Give me a drink!"_

"_No way! You've had over half the bottle!"_

"_Whatever! You are obviously hallucinating under these extreme conditions." the blonde replied. "You are the greedy one." _

"_Extreme conditions? We're in a hole."_

"_Yeah, well, it's an extreme condition when I'm stuck in here with you!" Minako declared angrily. "It makes everything one hundred times worse!"_

"_Argh!! Artemis??" Rei called from the bottom of the hole. "I'm getting out of here! I can't work with this woman, and I use THAT term loosely."_

"_Hey!!" Minako cried in protest._

_The cat rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." A large thump resounded from the bottom of the pit, and he shook his head in disbelief._

"_Did you just hit me with the shovel???" Rei demanded. "You did! You just hit me with your damn shovel!!"_

"_Wow, Martians are slow. Don't be such a baby!"_

"_Baby??" Rei snapped, grabbing her own shovel. "I'll show you who's the baby!"_

"_Aie!! Artemis!! She's going to beat me with her shovel!!" Minako cried plaintively._

"_That's it!" The feline replied. "I'm out of here! You two can get out by yourselves!"_

"_Ugh, now look what you did!" Minako declared. _

"_Me?? This is your fault!" Rei cried._

"_No it's not!"  
_

"_Yes it is! God, whatever I did wrong to deserve this, I'm sorry already!"_

"_Not as sorry as you're going to be!" Minako chirped, swiping the canteen back and draining it of it's contents.._

"_Hey! Greedy little witch!!"_

"_You take that back!!"_

"_Make me!"_

_Artemis sighed tiredly as he made his way back to the palace. "Those two were made for each other."_

_--------------------  
_

Sunlight? Yes, sunlight. It felt like it had been forever since Mars had seen the sun. Wait. She frowned internally. Last thing she remembered, she was in pain, in the dark. How did she get outside? She took a look around her. Everything was desolate and cold. Snow as far as the eye could see. She turned her eyes upwards to the sky, and sucked in her breath. She could see the moon, a thin sliver of it anyway. Almost a thumbnail.

"Looks small from down here, doesn't it?"

Rei turned to face the speaker. "Mother? How did I get out here?"

"You walked."

"I don't remember." Mars replied with a slight frown.

"The power does that to you. As it replaces the silver energy in your bloodstream, you lose things. Things you remember, things you've done, everything has a price."

Rei tensed. "Funny. No one told me that."

"Don't fight it."

"You keep saying that." Mars snapped, but the woman only smiled in response. Typical. The soldier sighed. "Tell me something. How did you survive the battle on Mars? How did I survive? By all rights, I should be dead."

"I was barely conscious when one of her witches found me. The woman could sense the need for revenge in my heart, and asked me if I'd like the power to get it." her mother smiled sadly, and shook her head. "My only condition was that they help you."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty." Rei quipped dryly.

The comment was ignored. "We both died that day."

"What?"

"You did see my body, though I'm sure it's practically dust by now. They were kind enough to make me a new one. But with you, the witch had to use her magics to resuscitate you. I think that's what makes you so sensitive to magic and demons. You can sense them before you see them, right?"

"Sometimes."

"With more practice, you may develop skills further than you can imagine."

The fire soldier fell silent, letting her thoughts drift back to the moon. She noted with a growing sense of alarm that she didn't want to go home as badly as she had before. A frightening concept to say the least. Just what the hell had they been doing to her? She was supposed to remain in control, but that notion appeared to be fading fast. In place of homesickness, she was finding herself to be growing comfortably numb. The helper. Her mother. Why was she letting her guard down so much around her? She was the enemy. The enemy. She had to focus on that.

Her ears began to ring, and she shook her head to try and clear her mind. Things began to grow fuzzy, and she really began to panic. Was it another blackout, or was she going to lose something else she held dear?

Her mother smiled. "See? You're fighting it. But you can't fight it forever."

Mars narrowed her eyes. Definitely not something any mother should say, but it was too late.

Hindsight was always twenty-twenty.

------------------------

_A piercing scream resounded through the soldier's barracks, and Mars took off like a shot in the direction of the racket, blade drawn. Minako's room. It was coming from Minako's room!_

_She was going so fast she damn near missed the door, stumbling comically to try and stop in time. _

_The warrior called to Venus through the heavy door, and upon getting no response, jiggled the handle. Locked. Without a moment's hesitation, she brought up her foot and kicked the door in, charging into the room like a knight in shining armor._

_...or not._

_A very naked Goddess of Love screeched in distress and grabbed the nearest object to try and cover herself. To the fire soldier's distress, it turned out to be nothing more than a tiny washcloth._

_All the blood rushed to her face as she stammered out several near incomprehensible apologies, looking as though her head were about to rupture._

"_That's wonderful and all, but seriously, would you mind turning around?" Venus demanded._

_She didn't think it was possible, but she noted with a great degree of satisfaction that Rei was turning even redder, to the point where the blonde noted that the tips of her ears and even her scalp was flushed._

_Mars spun rapidly on her heels and faced the nearest wall, cursing all the gods she could name internally. "I'm so sorry Minako. I heard you screaming, and I thought something was wrong! I just wanted to make sure you were alright, that's all it was! I swear!"_

"_Well, you should have seen the size of that spider! You would have screamed too!"_

_Rei stiffened. "A spider?"_

"_Yes!"_

"_Wait, you were scared of a spider?"_

"_It was huge, and it was looking right at me!"_

_Mars forgot all about the predicament she was in, and turned to face the blonde. "Are you kidding me?? I made an ass out of myself for THAT??"_

"_Argh! Turn around! God, I'm starting to think you are in love with me or something."_

"_I AM NOT!" Mars declared hotly, but the red hue coloring her face suggested she was most certainly having an issue._

"_Then turn around!!"_

_Minako was positive that the vessels in Rei's face burst at last as she faced the wall once more. Had she been willing to give up the game already, she would have started laughing, but she knew pushing the fire soldier to the limit was going to take way more than this._

"_I just can't believe you'd be scared of a spider." Rei continued lamely. "I mean, after all the horrible hell-beasts and demons we've fought, a spider couldn't possibly freak you out."_

_"Well, I am a female, or hadn't you noticed?"_

_"I noticed." Mars mumbled._

_Now fully clothed, the blonde took it upon herself to tease the Martian a tiny bit more. She stepped up behind Rei, and moved her lips close to her ear. "You'll have to tell me. Did you see anything you liked?"_

_Mars jumped, as though she had been burned. "No!"_

_"So I'm not pleasing to the eye?"_

_"Hey! I didn't mean it like that!"_

_"No? So you did like it?"_

_Rei tossed her hands up in the air. This was going nowhere fast, and she knew that the longer she stayed in this room, the worse things were going to get. "I have to go. I have to go do things, and stuff. So uh, yeah. Bye."_

_Venus smirked as the soldier bolted from the room. Mission accomplished. But how the hell was she going to fix the door?_

_-------------------_

Mars jerked roughly as she snapped back into her body. A plain room. Bare grey walls. She found herself seated in a simple wooden chair, across from a rickety bed. Her armor and her blade lay on the mattress, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how they had gotten there. She racked her brain, desperately trying to remember where she was, and why she was there. She was supposed to be doing something, but what? Her muscles were trembling violently, like she had way too much energy built up in them, and she had to fight the urge to just start pounding on the nearest object. How long had she been here?

The enemy. She was supposed to take out the enemy.

Who the hell was the enemy?

Her foggy mind struggled to grasp at the threads of her memories, and she was able to pull up the faces of those she had grown up with. Her friends. Minako.

Screaming pain ripped through her skull.

'_I get it. Oh god, I get it. The more I fight to hold onto my memories of her, the more I lose. I can't believe I thought I could control this.'_

"One more day." an unfamiliar voice whispered in her mind. "Just one more, and you're ours."

"I can't believe I would forget that you were the enemy." Mars spat out, as blood began to trickle out of her ears and nose. She wiped the blood off of her face with a shaking hand and slid to the floor.

"That's because you've been fighting for all the wrong reasons."

----------------------

_"And what the hell would you call that?" Minako demanded, pointing to the hideous beast that was eyeing her as though she were a tasty snack._

_"That would be a horse." Rei replied calmly, adjusting the saddle and patting the mare affectionately. "And she won't hurt you."_

_"Ha. It wants me to THINK that."_

_The fire soldier arched an eyebrow. "What, you didn't have these back on Venus?"_

_"Oh, we did." the blonde replied. "I distinctly recall a very unpleasant incident on my fifth birthday involving a pony." she shuddered at the memory and shook her head._

"_I'm not even going to ask." _

"_I think it's best that way." Minako agreed. "I don't like to talk about it."_

_Rei laughed. "I guess we all have things in our past we'd rather not discuss."_

"_How very true. I don't think I can ever remember you talking about Mars."_

_The soldier tensed slightly, but shook it off quickly. "There's just nothing to tell."_

_Minako frowned inwardly. She could almost see the wall that had slammed down in front of her, and it was beginning to drive her nuts. All she had wanted this whole time was to get closer to Rei, but so far the raven haired woman had thwarted her every attempt. Honestly. It's not like they were complete strangers. They had spent almost fourteen years together, side by side. So what was the hold up?_

"_Well Blondie, do you want to do this or not?" Mars questioned, breaking her train of thought._

_Venus cast her a dubious look. "You want me to climb up on that thing?"_

"_I'll be right here. Don't worry."_

"_Whenever you say that, something bad happens." Minako muttered darkly._

"_That was ONE time! How was I supposed to know that the bug demon was going to explode?" _

"_Easy for you to say. Do you have any idea how long it took me to get all that gunk out of my hair?"_

"_Seven hours. Yes. You never let me forget." Rei grumbled._

"_Exactly!"_

"_Mina, get on the damn horse." _

"_Fine. Do you have to be so pushy?" Minako asked with a toss of her hair._

"_Yes. Do you have to be so aggravating?"_

"_Yes, because you're cute when you're mad."_

"_Shut up." Rei snapped as her cheeks flushed._

"_Aww, see? Just like that!"_

"_Get on the horse, or so help me, I'll make her bite you!"_

_The blonde gave her a sheepish grin. "Um, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do this."_

_Mars sighed. "It's easy. Here." she pressed the reins into the blonde's left hand and gave her a nod. "Just grab the horn of the saddle and put your left foot into the stirrup here."_

_Minako complied, and gave Rei another nervous look. "Is she going to toss me through the air?"_

"_Only if you kick her."_

"_Wonderful."_

"_It'll be fine." Rei promised. "I'm right here."_

_Minako blinked, and opened her mouth to object._

"_Don't even say it." Mars said with a laugh. "Poor choice of words on my part."_

"_Indeed."_

"_Now, you need to push up hard on your right leg, and swing it over to the other side. Don't let go, and try your best not to wobble. Just lean forward towards her head."_

"_Here goes nothing." Minako mumbled, doing exactly as Mars had instructed. The horse swayed to the left slightly, making it rather difficult for her to get her right leg over. Rei stepped forward quickly and gave the blonde's butt a gentle push. giving her enough momentum to make it over._

"_Hey now! What was that??" Venus cried._

"_Got you up there, didn't it?" _

"_Any excuse to grope me."_

"_You wish."_

_The mare whinnied, and began to bounce Minako around. She jumped, and threw Rei a panicked look. "What do I do? It's going to kill me!"_

_Mars chuckled quietly and shook her head. "You're fine. She's barely moving."_

"_Lies!" the blonde cried. "It has murderous intent in it's eyes!!"_

"_You can't even see her eyes."_

"_That's not the point! You get up here, or I'm getting down!"_

_Rei let out a long, suffering sigh. "You're kidding, right?"_

_The horse bucked slightly, and Minako let out a squeak of distress._

"_Oh fine." she huffed, grasping the back of the saddle. She pushed herself up and unto the horse with next to no effort, sliding behind Venus. "I can't believe I'm doing this."_

_Minako blushed at the close contact, thankful that the Martian couldn't see her face. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as Rei slid her arms around her waist, and gently tugged the reins out of her hands. With a light tap of her heels, the horse was moving, but the blonde had all but forgotten about the hideous death beast she was riding._

"_See? Is this so bad?" Rei asked quietly._

"_I'm starting to think this is the best idea you've ever had." _

"_I get those. Once in awhile anyway. I just think horseback riding is relaxing."_

"_Funny, because I can't breathe." Minako whispered._

"_I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."_

"_Huh? Oh, just talking to myself." Minako said with a light laugh. "We blondes tend to do that from time to time."_

"_Shouldn't do that, especially since you've got a perfectly good person to talk to right here."_

"_Now what could I possibly have to say to someone who goes out of their way to grope me?"_

"_Oh, not this again." Mars groaned._

"_Admit it!"_

"_Fine. I admit it. You're crazy."_

"_Not that!!"_

_Rei laughed. "Truth hurts."_

"_You're impossible." Venus huffed._

"_You started it." Mars pointed out._

"_Excuses, excuses." _

_The fire soldier grinned, and held onto Minako a little tighter._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Wouldn't want you to fall, princess."_

"_Fall?" the blonde repeated, confused._

"_Yeah." Mars dug her heels into the horse's side, and it was off like a shot. As Minako leaned back into her, Rei discovered that she just couldn't shake the funny feeling that had tweaked her heart. Relaxing? Hardly._

_----------------_

"Mars? How are you feeling today?"

Violet eyes cracked open slowly. "How do you think I feel? I want to get out of here already."

Her mother laughed quietly. "That's a good sign."

"Is it? I feel like I'm going to crawl right out of my skin if I don't do something soon."

"And if I let you leave here now, what would you do? Where would you go?"

"I want my revenge." Rei spat out.

"On who?"

"The people of the moon."

"Why?"

Mars faltered there. "I'm not even sure anymore."

"That's because they've warped your thinking. They've stolen your life away, binding you to an unjustified destiny, forcing you to bleed for people who were never there when you needed them most."

The soldier looked uncertain, shadows of doubt flittering across her face.

"Don't worry, little warrior. Soon, everything will be clear. In the meantime, we just need you to rest, and gather your strength. You have a mission coming up."

"Really?"

"Yes, we'll be sending you out with one of the Earth generals. It'll be a good chance for you to stretch your legs. What do you think?"

"When can I leave?"

-----------------------

_Minako murmured restlessly in her sleep, tossing and turning. The Martian could tell from the tension radiating from her body that she was having a nightmare, and her heart went out to the girl._

_She inched closer to the blonde on the bed, and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Hey, Mina. Wake up. You're having a bad dream."_

"_Uh?"_

"_Exactly." Mars replied with a smile, kissing her forehead. _

_Venus rubbed the sleep from her eyes and let out a small yawn. "I'm sorry. Did I keep you awake?"_

"_It's ok." Rei whispered soothingly, gently caressing her back. "I wasn't sleeping anyway."_

"_It was so weird." Minako said, snuggling closer. "I had a dream that you went somewhere, and I couldn't follow you to bring you back."_

"_Huh. I don't know where I'd go."_

"_Me neither. So just don't go anywhere, and we won't have a problem." the blonde replied with a conclusive nod._

_Rei laughed quietly. "I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be."_

"_Good. You know that I love you, right?"_

_Mars blinked. "That was kind of random."_

"_I'm all about the random."_

"_I've noticed. And you know that I love you too."_

_Minako giggled._

"_What?"_

"_It's just surreal, you know?" the blonde explained with a smile. "A year ago, I couldn't even picture you being like this."_

"_I've come to the very scientific conclusion that love makes you crazy."_

"_That doesn't sound very scientific."_

"_It does to me. But then again, I must be crazy." Rei muttered._

_Minako's only reply was to lean forward and kiss the fire soldier._

_--------------------_

Mars donned her armor, and inspected her blade one last time before sliding it into it's sheath.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"This is your chance to prove your loyalty to Queen Beryl, so it's very important that you fulfill all your mission requirements." her mother said with a nod.

"Understood."

"Kill anyone who tries to stop you."

Rei smiled darkly. "Not a problem."


	17. When in Rome

------------------

'_I've overstayed a while _

_in my time in exile.'_

-----------------

"This is Kunzite. He'll be accompanying you on your mission."

Rei eyed the man up and scoffed. He stood a good head taller than her, broad shouldered and slim. But it was the long, waist length snow white hair that irked her the most.

"Look, I don't need a babysitter, especially one that looks like a pretty boy."

"This is the Queen's great new toy? Looks like a spoiled brat to me." the offended general spat.

"Don't let looks deceive you." the helper replied. "She's quite dangerous."

"Yeah, right." he huffed, crossing his arms and staring the Martian down.

In the time it had taken him to complete the motion, Mars had removed a dagger from her boot, closed the distance between them, and pressed the blade to the left side of his neck.

"Two seconds." Rei stated calmly. "That's how long it will take me to have you on the floor, choking on your own blood."

Kunzite's face curled into a snarl. "Impudent child. If you weren't Beryl's latest little lap dog, I would have had you killed days ago."

"Care to repeat that?" Mars said with a grin, pushing on the blade a little harder.

"Now children," Rei's mother intervened, resting a hand on the Martian's shoulder. "Save your energy. We have things to do, and you two are wasting your time trying to throw your weight around."

"Aw, look at that pretty boy. It's your lucky day."

"Mars!!!"

"Fine." she growled, backing down at last.

"Better. Now, do you understand your orders?"

"Retrieve the prince, at all costs." Rei replied.

"Good. And Kunzite?"

"Heh. I just have to make sure our happy little harlot doesn't do anything stupid."

Mars bristled. She brought her hands up in front of her, and called the fire energy into them. "You wanna go? 'Cause I'm game."

"That's enough!!!" the helper bellowed.

The soldier shook her hands, and the flames subsided.

"Go."

Rei waved her hand, and a dark portal appeared behind her. "I'll be back." She turned her burning gaze to Kunzite. "And you. Just stay out of my way."

He scoffed as the soldier jumped through the portal.

"Kunzite. Don't harm any of her friends, have you got that? If there is any blood to be spilt, I want her blade to do it."

"Ugh. Why?" he griped.

"It's part of the deal. And besides, we don't need to have her go through any bouts of poor judgment. After all of that work and energy, we really can't afford to have her go back now."

"Don't worry. I'll bring the little toy back in one piece, but just remember, I don't like this, not one bit." he growled, stepping through the dark energy.

The helper sighed tiredly once they had both left. "Are you sure about this?" she asked wearily, as Beryl emerged from the shadows.

"Absolutely. I like her spirit. She will make one of the best warriors I have ever had, and she's certainly not hard on the eyes."

"But why Endymion? I thought we were done with him."

"With both of them under our sway, we could have the palace ripped apart in minuets. The other soldiers will lose the will to fight if they know it means facing their former comrades. If we could convert all of them, we would be unstoppable."

-----------------

Venus tried to ignore the tingling feeling running down her spine. Something was definitely not right, but she couldn't seem to pinpoint the cause of her discomfort. Ever since Mars had vanished three days ago, things had gone into total disarray. Moral was at an all time low, despite the Outers feverous attempts to boost spirits. Neither she, nor any of the other soldiers could come up with a way to track the Martian down, and any hope of finding her was starting to fade. The princess had gone into a quiet depression, and Venus knew they shouldn't be wasting so many precious moments. They had yet to come up with a stellar defense plan for the attack, and things were beginning to look rather bleak.

Funny. Time could chase you, but you couldn't chase time.

The blonde sighed wearily and rubbed her face with her hands, trying to wake herself up. Sleep deprivation. If she kept this up, she may as well just lay down and let the enemy kill her. She leaned her head back against Serenity's bedroom door, swallowing hard when the sounds of quiet sobs reached her ears.

"I think I know how you feel." she mumbled quietly, closing her eyes for just a second. "Rei, where are you?"

It was funny, in a cosmic sort of way. The very night Mars had disappeared, Mercury had finally rigged a device to banish the creature crawling through the soldier's veins. Venus had a horrible gut feeling that the demon was the very reason Mars had left in the first place. After she had seen the remains of the creature splattered all over Rei's cell, she could _almost_ understand why the fire soldier had been so quick to give in.

But almost was never good enough.

Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back quickly. As the leader, she had to maintain a certain demeanor, a level of calm, to help keep the others motivated. Funny. All she wanted to do was curl up in Rei's bed and cry. A distant explosion under her feet rocked her world, breaking her somber thoughts. Immediately her heart crawled into her throat, and her mind reeled. The attack. Oh god, it was too early!

She could hear the familiar voice of Jupiter ringing down the opposite hall. "What the hell is going on here? There are fires everywhere!! Has anyone seen Venus??"

Fires?

Her eyes widened as her heart stopped. "Mars. It has to be."

The door behind her flew open, and Venus almost fell back onto the princess. "It's her, isn't it?" Serenity cried excitedly.

"Whoa. You need to get back into your room, now. We have no idea what's going on, and it may not be safe." Minako demanded as a swarm of soldiers rushed past her towards the sound of Jupiter's panicked voice.

"But it's her. I know it."

"That may be, but my first priority is your safety." Venus replied calmly, but her pounding heart was trying to convince her otherwise.

"How can you be so calm about this?" the princess questioned angrily.

"Because I have to be!"

Before Serenity had a chance to respond, Mercury came tearing around the corner. "Oh thank God! We need you downstairs Venus!"

"What is it?" Minako asked quietly, but her trembling hands destroyed any sense of control she was trying to convey.

"It's Mars. She's attacking the brig."

"_What???"_

"Go! Just go! I'll take care of Serenity."

The blonde didn't need anyone to tell her twice.

-----------------

By the time she reached the prison, things were a rather fine mess indeed. Huge holes had been blown through the heavy steel doors, and wounded soldiers littered the floor.

"How bad is it?" Venus questioned, as Jupiter dragged a soldier to the side of the hall and leaned him against the wall.

"Bad. Two attackers. Looks like they went straight for Endymion. Funny thing is though, not a single casualty."

"Was it her?" the blonde asked quietly.

Jupiter cast her eyes to the floor. "Yes. She was with a man I couldn't recognize, but Endymion seemed to know him. The lot of them got into a huge fight, and Mars knocked the prince out."

"Where are they now?" Minako asked quickly.

Jupiter pointed to the now gaping hole in the palace wall, and Venus could faintly make out the figures of Uranus and Neptune, squaring off with Mars and the unknown man.

Before the thunder soldier could even blink, her leader was gone.

Minako raced towards the group as fast as her legs would carry her, and she was sure her heart was going to burst. It _was _her. Oh God. What should she do?

Mars had an unconscious Endymion bound and draped over her shoulder, and she was in the process of trading insults with Uranus.

"Listen to me, Mars. You don't want to do this." Haruka tried desperately.

"Save it for someone who cares." the fire soldier spat. "I'm tired of doing what everyone else thinks I should do."

"Rei!" Venus cried.

Mars glanced over at the blonde for a split second, and Minako was chilled to the bone by the soulless look in her eyes.

"Why, hello again." Rei said with a cold smile. "Long time no see."

"Mars, what are you doing?" Venus asked in a shaky voice.

"Huh? Oh. I'm just here to pick up my little friend." she replied, bouncing the prince on her shoulder for emphasis. "The damn baby wouldn't come quietly."

"Rei, please." she tried, as calmly as her shaking voice would allow. "Put him down."

"As you wish." she said with a light shrug, dropping Endymion carelessly to the ground. "Now let me guess. You want me to drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness?"

Minako took an unconscious step back. "I didn't say that."

"Let me tell you something, Blondie. I'm done. I'm done playing all these damn mind games. I'm through trying to please everyone, and giving everything I have to fight the good fight. And for what? So I can be killed and do it all over again? What kind of existence is that?"

Tears stung the blonde's eyes.

"Oh yeah, go ahead and cry. It just means you have no damn good reason for all of that suffering."

"That's enough!" Uranus growled, stepping forward.

"And you're going to stop me? Please. I'll incinerate the lot of you, him included." Mars snapped, gesturing towards the prince with a rough jerk of her head. "So how about it? You want to go?"

Uranus narrowed her eyes, but Neptune held her back. "Don't. We can't risk his life." she said quietly.

Rei turned towards Minako once more. "Oh, you're still crying? Poor baby. Why don't you come with me? I'll make it _all_ better."

"Shut up." Venus cried through her tears, drawing her blade. God, give her strength. Mars or not, she had obligations.

"Now that's love." Mars said to no one in particular. "You see how quickly she resorts to violence? She's ready to kill me, despite all we've been through. It really was all lies, wasn't it?"

"Don't do this Rei, please." Minako pleaded.

"God, enough of this drama." the general growled, drawing his sword and charging at Venus.

But Mars was quicker. As the general swung his sword down and Venus raised hers in defense, the fire soldier jumped between the two, deflecting the general's sword with her own, and catching the blonde's blade in her gloved hand.

"Back off." Rei growled dangerously. "Orders are you keep your hands to yourself, so follow them!"

The general sneered and stepped back, yanking Endymion up off the ground roughly. "We're leaving. Now."

"Best idea I've heard all evening." Mars muttered in response, her back still to Minako.

Venus was horrified to see a heavy stream of blood running down her blade, dripping over the guard, down the grip, over her knuckles, and onto the grass. She had grasped it so hard, the gladius had sliced through the thick protective material of her glove, and she had yet to let go. What was she thinking? Why would she go through the extra effort of preventing a fight?

Mars turned slightly and gave her the smallest ghost of a smile.

Minako couldn't move fast enough. She reached an arm out to Rei, trying to grab her, hold her down, or whatever the hell she could manage, but the fire soldier was quicker, jerking her bleeding hand away from Venus' sword and driving an elbow into her stomach, knocking the blonde to the ground.

She smirked wickedly, and gave her former comrades a sharp salute. "It's been fun ladies, but I have an invasion to plan." With that, she was gone, leaping into the portal after Kunzite and the prince.

The three women fell into a stunned silence.

Neptune broke it first, voicing what everyone else was already thinking. "This is _bad._"

Uranus shook her head quickly and dropped to the ground, next to a very distraught Venus.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Minako stared at the wind soldier blankly. "Am I alright?" she repeated slowly, her voice low and hollow.

The tall woman nodded slowly, unsure how to respond.

Venus burst into maniacal laughter, squeezing her eyes shut. Of all the god-awfully stupid questions in the universe...

Uranus traded a worried glance with her partner and shrugged helplessly. "Should I slap her, or what?"

"Haruka!" Neptune scolded harshly.

"What??"

Minako gasped sharply as her laughter twisted itself into racking sobs. She pounded her fists uselessly into the ground, crying the fire soldier's name. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. She couldn't do this anymore. Her heart felt like it had been chewed up, spit out, and then cracked into a million pieces. She didn't even feel as though she were fit to live.

Stress? What stress?

She wanted to quit. Never in her entire life had she regretted accepting the mantle of a warrior, of a protector. She had spent her life being so strong for others, now who the hell was going to be strong for her? To have Rei so close, yet so far out of her grasp stung painfully, and it was almost more than she could bear. After all they had been through together, just to lose her like this, was like a stab in the chest.

God had a sick sense of humor.

Haruka laid a comforting hand on her back, and Minako lashed out violently. She swung wildly at the wind soldier, who caught her fist in her open palm.

"Settle down."

"Shut up!" the blonde cried, sobbing openly as she threw a weak punch with her free hand.

Uranus dodged it smoothly. "Hey, I'm not the bad guy, and this isn't going to help Rei either."

"Then what is??"

Haruka winced internally. Damn, she was really bad at things like this. But thankfully Michiru stepped in, helping the broken leader to her feet.

"Let's get inside. I'm sure between all of us, we can come up with something."

Minako nodded, though her eyes were empty.

Haruka felt a knot swell up in her throat. What would she be like if the situations were reversed? As she watched Neptune and Venus walk away, her heart broke. Without Michiru, she would go mad. She wasn't sure how Minako could hold up so well.

------------------

"We're home!" Mars announced cheerily, tossing Endymion to the floor.

He groaned weakly, and made it a solemn vow that in his next life, he would be a priest. Priests never had to deal with crazy flame throwing women, did they?

"How is he? Did everything go alright?" the helper asked quietly.

"He's fine." Kunzite snapped.

"Argued a bit, but we got past that, didn't we?" Rei asked, giving the prince a swift kick in the ribs.

Definitely a priest, he decided. Women were mental.

"Good. Take him to one of the holding cells."

He groaned. Locked up again? Damn, when did his life begin to suck so badly?

Rei nodded, and dragged him to his feet.

---------------------

"Now. Sit down, shut up, and be good." Mars barked, shoving Endymion roughly into a holding cell.

"What the hell have you done??" the prince cried weakly. "And you!" he added, pointing to Kunzite. "You joined her too??"

"Oh, shut the hell up." the general replied. "I've had a long night, and I'm not in the mood."

The prince started to spout off a retort, but a swift punch to his solar plexus courtesy of Mars shut him up quickly.

"Please, just keep quiet." she ordered briskly, slamming the cell door behind her.

"Let's go give our report, huh pretty boy?"

"Whatever you say, harlot."

The prince remained frozen on the floor of his cell until he was sure they had gone, and scrambled quickly to unroll the scrap of parchment Rei had passed to him via her punch.

He read it once, then twice, and laughed quietly.

_This place makes you crazy. __To find is to lose, and to lose is to find. __I don't know what's going on anymore, __and I'm not even sure if what I do remember is real. __But I do remember making an important promise, __and I have to keep it. __So, I'll trust you if you'll trust me, and we'll give __them one hell of a show. __I'll contact you soon._

The prince balled the note up and tossed it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

She _was _crazy. But now, he was more than positive that it was the _good _kind of crazy. He swallowed the scrap of paper and sighed, with not a moment to spare. The door to his cell slid open, and he wanted to cry when he caught sight of his visitor.

"Prince."

He let out a defeated sigh. "Beryl."

"How nice of you to join us again."

Endymion scowled. "Looks like it's my lucky day in hell."

That's when she did it. She _smiled. _He shuddered, despite all his efforts to hold it back. He knew all too well what that smile meant from his last visit here, and it made his skin crawl.

'_Dear God, let Mars do whatever it is she needs to do, quickly.'_

The Queen waved a hand, and two of her minions rushed in, binding Endymion once more.

'_VERY quickly.'_

------------------

Minako eyed the twisted wreckage that was once a wall, and sighed tiredly. It was going to take hours to repair this, and all she really wanted to do now was sleep.

Jupiter paused briefly before shoving another stone back into the wall. "Hey, the sun is rising."

Venus squinted wearily. The sky was beginning to glow in shades of purple, red and pink. Right at the line where night ended and morning began, the sky was tinged a beautiful violet.

"Her eyes. It's the same shade as her eyes."

Jupiter followed the blonde's gaze. "You know, it's a new day. That means it's a fresh start."

Minako nodded absently.

Makoto frowned, and shoved another stone into place. "Venus, it'll be alright."

"Will it?"

"Yes, and I'll tell you why. Had Mars been some crazy psychopath, we wouldn't be standing here, having this conversation. She would have killed all of us. Think about it. On her way through this place, she caused only minor injuries. No casualties, no fatal injuries, not even any broken bones. Does that sound like a psychopath, or does it sound like someone who knows what they're doing?"

Venus snapped her eyes forward to meet Jupiter's. "I hadn't thought of that."

Jupiter laughed. "Well, of course not. You were too busy being a drama queen."

"Excuse me?"

Makoto coughed. "Anyway. The point is, she protected you against that crazy fellow she was with. Had she let you fight him while you were in that emotional state, you would have lost horribly. Some part of her was thinking only of you."

"It's always darkest before dawn..." Minako replied, thinking back to Rei's message.

Jupiter nodded. "How true. And look, it's dawn already."

The blonde's face lit up into a genuine smile, and the brunette couldn't help but to smile back. It was so damn contagious when she did that.

"Hey Makoto?"

"Yeah?"

"It's going to be a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Goddamn right."


	18. Sealings

**Author's note - Woo. Sorry it took so long to post this one. I got kinda involved in Resident Evil 4 on the Wii. Owned my soul for a good week it did. The broken butterfly is my new best friend. I now have demented images in my head of Rei dressed as Leon and Minako dressed as Ashley. Ack. Focus! Anywho. Onwards!**

**-------------------**

"Hey! Get up! The Queen wants to see you."

Mars groaned as blazing lights came on overhead. Queen? What Queen?

"Are you deaf? Move it!"

The soldier cracked an eye open and caught sight of a blonde man she hadn't seen before. The cord on his left arm signified him as a general, and she could really care less. She stretched and let out a yawn before meeting his eyes with hers.

"I'll give you three seconds to turn off the light, and get the hell out of my room."

"Excuse me?" the man snapped. "Do you know who I am?"

"You mean besides a total ass?"

The man became livid. "Kunzite was right. You are nothing more than an impudent child."

"Ugh. Not that bastard again." Mars groaned. "Now seriously. You need to leave. This is your last warning."

The general held his hand up, and dark energy began to crackle around his fist. "No. This is _your _last warning."

The fire soldier narrowed her eyes. She was not a morning person, and this was no way to start her day. She quickly whipped a dagger out from under her pillow and threw it across the room, missing the blonde's head by mere inches.

"Get. Out."

His face became red with rage, but he complied, slamming the door so hard it rattled on it's hinges.

"Much better." Mars muttered with a smirk, but her heart was pounding. Beryl. This is what she had been dreading. Surely the dark Queen would see through her very thoughts. What had she been thinking? Could she really pull this off?

Faint images of Minako danced on the fringes of her consciousness. She had lost almost everything just trying to get to this point, and she had barely managed to come out of this with her mind in tact. Was it worth it? Was it really worth it? She had gone in way too deep. She was in over her head, but the hole just kept getting deeper, and there was almost no way out. The farther she went to try and save her friends, the darker her very soul became.

She racked her brain, trying to remember everything they had done together, and it stung when she realized she could pull up nothing. Mars had enough shadows of memories lingering in her mind to know that she and Venus had been lovers, and she had used that on her mission, just as she had been instructed.

Huh. Instructed. They were making her hurt Minako. So much for the deal. She pressed a shaky hand to her face, and jerked slightly when the faint scent of blood hit her nose. She pulled her hand away and stared at the angry red gash across her palm blankly.

Her sword. It was from Minako's sword.

No one was forcing her to do this, were they? She chose this on her own. She was hurting Minako, despite doing all of this to prevent any more pain.

She flexed her fingers experimentally and the wound split open, spilling hot blood across her lap. Tears stung her eyes. She just wanted to be near Minako, and she couldn't even remember why. "What should I do?" she mumbled aloud. "I can't go on like this."

"Like what?"

The helper's voice snapped her back to reality, and her heart raced with fear. She slammed a complete mask of calm over her features and met her mother's steady gaze.

"Like this." Rei replied coolly, flexing her fingers again. The wound seeped openly. "I have to be more careful. This lack of sleep is making me clumsy. _Very _clumsy."

The helper nodded. "I'll see that you get the rest you need, but first, the Queen requests your presence."

"I'll get dressed, and present myself."

"Good. And Mars?"

"Yes?"

"Do stop threatening the help. It's not going to win you any points."

Rei smirked in response. "He should have knocked."

-----------------

She adjusted her armor one last time, nervously tightening her gauntlets. She had to stay calm. If she so much as even breathed funny, she was positive she would be ripped limb from limb. Scary stuff, this playing the fence. Her hand stung painfully, and she was hit with a sudden bout of inspiration. That was it. She had always said that her power was her control, and pain was her fuel. She removed her glove and eyed the angry wound, as a smile played on the corners of her mouth. The pain would have to fuel her mind today. "Thank you, Mina." she murmured absently. "You're going to keep me sane."

"Are you ready?" her mother called through the door. "She really hates waiting."

Mars pulled the door open. "Yeah. I'm kind of anxious myself."

"Why's that?"

"I wanted to meet the woman responsible for giving my mother back to me."

The helper smiled, but her eyes were empty. Mars held back the chill that threatened to run down her spine. Would her eyes get that way?

A portal opened, and she shoved everything but thoughts of her mother down. If the Queen were to try and read her thoughts, she would see only images of her mother. That was believable, right? _Right?_

"After you, Pyro."

Mars froze for half a second, but recovered quickly.

"Something the matter?" her mother asked, jumping at her moment's hesitation

"Ah, no. I could just swear I've heard that before." Rei replied quietly, with a shake of her head.

The helper smiled. "I think you're imagining things."

"Lack of sleep." Mars said with a forced grin. It was scary how easily her mother could lie. Yet another sign that she had to do her job and get the hell out of here. She dug her fingernails into her wound across her palm, and nearly screamed at the pain. This had to work. It just had to. As long as she focused on the pain, and thought only of the helper, she just might make it through this. She had to earn Beryl's trust, and she had a feeling that meant hurting Minako a little more.

Without another word, she stepped through the portal, idly wondering if she were marching to her death.

Once on the other side, she let her eyes roam the expansive throne room. Demons flanked both sides, as far as she could see. Huh. No wonder no one could ever track the Queen down. She must have created some sort of inter-dimensional rift. Good knowledge though. She'd probably send her army the exact same way. Oh dear God, how long had she been spacing? Everyone was staring!

She dug her nails in further, and grit her teeth. Focus. Must focus. The Queen sat on a massive throne, and looked damn intimidating from her viewpoint.

"Ah, Mars. About time." Beryl said with a smirk.

Rei quirked an eyebrow. "Funny. I thought she'd be taller."

Her mother elbowed her sharply. "Have you no manners? Kneel!" she hissed quietly.

The soldier felt her heart lurch. Kneel? To this witch? And that's when she felt it, a gentle tickle in the back of her mind, almost the same sensation she had gotten when she first began conversing with the helper. Beryl must be searching her thoughts. She kept her mother in her field of peripheral vision on her right, focusing on her, and dug into her wound once more.

It must have worked, because the tickle vanished. The Queen waved a hand in front of the crystal ball floating before her, and Mars found herself on her knees. _'What the hell??'_

"Traitor to your people or not, all of my soldiers kneel before me."

Rei swallowed hard. "My allegiance lies with you."

"Good. Your thoughts reflect your words. You may rise."

She complied, and found her knees were almost knocking together. The amount of power this woman held was frightening.

"I have another mission for you."

"Yes, my Queen?" Dear God, she was going to be sick. Focus. Focus.

"I need you to do some reconnaissance work. You're familiar with the palace, so you'd be able to move around undetected. I need you to find the weak spots in their defenses. We're less than a week out now, and I need all the information I can get to be sure this operation will be a success."

Mars nodded dully. The palace? Damn. What if she slipped up? What if someone spotted her? She wouldn't be able to raise a hand against her friends. Friends? It took all she had in her just to knock Venus over last time, and she was sure Venus was more than a friend.

Venus. No. Don't think about her. Seriously a bad time to do such a thing. Sure enough, there was the tickle again. She blanked her mind out immediately.

Beryl seemed satisfied, and released her grip on the soldiers thoughts. This was really getting dangerous now. She wouldn't be able to stay on her toes indefinitely.

"I'll do my best."

"Good. Report back as soon as you've gathered enough intelligence."

Mars nodded, and waved her hand, and it felt as though she couldn't leap through the portal fast enough.

Beryl smiled. "Jadeite. Go keep on eye on her."

The blonde man from the fire soldier's morning encounter smirked. "With pleasure."

--------------

Once she found herself back on the moon, Rei let out the shaky breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. This was going to drive her insane. If she didn't hurry, she was going to crack under the pure strain of just trying to keep her wits.

Was she crazy already? Like she could report back on the moon's defenses. Might as well just open the damn doors for that horrid witch and...

The hair on the back of her neck rose. Yeah. She was being followed already. Wonderful. She made a mental note to deal with it later as she scurried up a tree to get a better view of the grounds. Dark clouds had begun to roll in from the west, and it looked as though a storm were brewing. Definitely a plus, as it would give her some cover.

The soldier sighed lightly. And it had looked like it was going to be such a beautiful day. She was really beginning to think she had lost her mind. Was she desperate enough to believe that her plan would work? Someone important had told her something once about desperation, but of course, she couldn't remember it anymore. Her memory was a strange thing. If she couldn't remember something, did that mean it never happened at all? Memory was just a written record in her mind of all the things she had done in life. She shuddered slightly. Those people on Earth could rewrite that record so easily, and with no second thoughts. What had they rewritten for her? After all was said and done, could she rewrite it herself and repair the damage?

A slight commotion to her left peaked her interest, and she leaned out onto a heavy branch for a better look.

Her heart twisted painfully, and she damn near fell out of her perch. Venus, right there, less than ten feet in front of her. She stilled herself completely, and held her breath. If she were found now, everything would be blown.

But she'd get to come home. She'd get to see Minako, and have her fill in all of the little missing pieces of her tampered memory. Was that so bad?

She smashed that thought down before it had a chance to grow on her. She was doing this for them. For all of them. She just had to earn Beryl's trust, and then get close enough to slay the witch. It meant more time away from home, and there was definitely a chance that she would fail miserably. Going up against a woman with that power _alone_? Even if she did succeed, she'd be killed by that horrid army on the way out..

But if this worked, there wouldn't even be a war. Hell, for that, she'd forfeit her life in a heartbeat.

"Did you find anything?"

Mars grit her teeth.

Damn. Neptune had appeared from her right side. She was good, and it was highly doubtful that they would pass her by now. But how had they known she'd be here? Her senses prickled. Great. Whoever had followed her here was close by now too. If discovered, she'd have to fight and make it look real.

The blonde below her shook her head. "No. But whatever it is, it's close."

Neptune gave Minako a small grin. "You owe me for this one."

"Huh?" Venus replied, clearly confused.

_'Huh?' _Mars leaned forward slightly. What the hell was Michiru talking about?

It happened quickly. One moment, the fire soldier was sitting on her perch, and the next, she was face down in the grass, with a knee pressed firmly in the middle of her back.

"Hey Mars." Neptune said smoothly. "How have you been?"

Rei cringed inwardly. Definitely not good. She balled her hands into fists and prepared to make her own move. The sharp point of a dagger pressed against the side of her throat, however, blew her strategy out of the water.

Mars let out an audible sigh. _'Dear God, I can't even fight the forces of darkness in relative peace? Why does everything have to be so damn difficult?'_

Venus took a cautious step towards the pair, but the water soldier waved her off. "She might still be dangerous. This would be a damn good time to slap that bracelet on her!"

The fire soldier took the spilt second's distraction as her cue and knocked the dagger aside. Huh. Like they'd really slit her throat anyway. She tossed Michiru off of her back and leapt to her feet, spinning quickly to face her fellow soldiers.

'_Kill them!! Kill them now!!'_

Mars froze. What the hell was that?

'_I said KILL THEM!!'_

Rei shook her head frantically, trying desperately to regain control of herself, but her body had other ideas, drawing her sword and moving into a battle stance. She had that horrible sense of being disconnected again, as though she were outside her body, watching the scene unfold.

Her eyes met the blonde's, and she prayed to whatever higher power that was listening that Minako could see it wasn't her doing this.

Neptune reacted quickly, drawing her own sword, and casting a distressed look in the blonde's direction. "Venus, come on. We knew it might come to this."

Minako shook her head. "No."

"What?" Michiru cried. "Look at her!"

The fire soldier surged forward, striking out at Neptune and grazing her cheek with her blade. The water soldier jumped back and narrowed her eyes. Whatever control Mars might have had over herself last time, it looked as though she had lost it now. They fought savagely, trading heavy blows back and forth. Michiru could tell there was no holding back this go round, and if she got careless, there would be some serious wounds involved.

"Stop it!" Minako cried desperately. "Don't do this!"

"Damn, look at her eyes Minako! It's like she doesn't even have a soul!" Neptune barked, straining hard under the weight of the fire soldier's blows.

"That's not how I see it!" Venus yelled back, breaking the deadly test of power the two had gotten into. Rei whipped her head around and caught the look in Minako's eyes, flush with tears.

Mars was struck by a horrible stinging sensation behind her eyes, and it blinded her temporarily, giving Neptune enough time to slam a heavy fist into her face.

_--------------------_

"_Hey Mars, are you ok?"_

"_Oh, yeah, sure." Rei mumbled weakly. "Don't mind me. I'm just going to lie here and BLEED to death, if that's alright with you."_

_Venus grunted. "You're heavy enough as it is. I can deal without the smart comments, thank you."_

"_I can do whatever I want, dammit..." the fire soldier slurred quietly._

"_Alright, fine, as long as it involves you keeping your eyes open."_

"_Were...you always...this bossy?"_

_The blonde grinned, despite the less than stellar conditions the group had found themselves in. "Someone has to be. Besides. I never told you to throw yourself in front of the blast like that."_

"_I believe in bleeding." Mars rasped weakly._

"_What?" Venus cried in response, probably a little louder than necessary. She'd do whatever it took to keep Rei's eyes open until they could get to a medic back at their makeshift base._

"_To bleed like this...it means you're okay..."_

"_I don't understand." the blonde replied, adjusting her grip on Mars, struggling with all her might to keep the fire soldier on her feet._

"_If I'm the one bleeding, it means you aren't. That's what I believe in. Screw the powers that be."_

"_That's not how I see it, Rei. No one should bleed. No one should be injured."_

_Mars chuckled weakly. "We're soldiers. It's inevitable."_

"_That may be," Venus growled, "but I refuse to be the cause of something that horrible. It's almost as bad as me stabbing you myself." _

_Rei shook her head. "You'd never do something like that. Never. That's why I'll always bleed for you, and for her."_

_Tears stung the blonde's eyes. "You're such a dummy. You know that?"_

"_Whatever you say, boss."_

_--------------------_

Mars moaned from her position on the ground, cupping her rather crunched and bloody nose in her hands. Now what the hell was that? A memory? What happened? How did she lose control like that? Beryl. Beryl had found a way to use her mind after all. Sure , she had made a deal with the helper, but she had said nothing about the Dark Queen. Regardless, she had snapped out of it now.

Neptune had really surprised her. Thank God. Minako had been unwilling to fight, What would have happened had she attacked the blonde instead? The pair moved in on her, but she made no move to combat them now. She was more worried about her rather foggy state of mind.

It was a memory. The harder she focused on it, the clearer the image became. Four years ago, they had all been out to a distant planet, on a peace keeping mission. That had encountered some hostile demons, and Mars had taken a blow meant for Venus. She had barely pulled out of that one alive.

Minako had triggered it, unknowingly, and had given her back her control. She felt comforted by that fact, even as Michiru pulled her hand roughly away from her face and snapped a plain silver bracelet on her wrist. She just felt so damn tired.

"Hopefully, Ami knows what she's doing, and this should keep her in check." Neptune muttered.

'_In check?' _

Movement just behind the blonde caught the Martian's eye, and pure dread filled her stomach. Damn! It was the man who had followed her here! She recognized him as the general from this morning, and judging from the energy he had gathered into his hands, he had his own ideas on what to do with Venus and Neptune. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She forced herself up, drawing her small dagger out of her boot as she rose. She used all the strength she could muster into her arms, and knocked her friends back, tackling the man around the waist and driving her dagger into his chest, just under his sternum.

"I knew it!" He rasped as he fell, spitting a mouthful of blood into the solder's face. "She'll eat you alive!!"

"She already is. But let me tell you something." Mars hissed darkly, wiping the blood off of her face. "No one dies without a purpose. Do you want to know what yours is?"

Jadeite fought to get to his feet, but the fire soldier held fast.

Rei regarded him with sorrowful eyes. "By dying here today, you're going to help me end a war."

"Im...possible..."

"Nothing is impossible." Mars replied quietly, driving the dagger deeper.

The general coughed weakly, choking on his own blood. The Martian twitched slightly. '_With every life I end, I think a part of me dies as well. God, I want out.'_

After what she swore was an eternity, he fell still. It took everything she had in her to control the urge to hang her head and weep. Everything was so wrong. Everything was so messed up. But she still had a job to do, and she was running out of time. If she didn't hurry, Beryl would certainly find out about today's events, and she really would be eaten alive. She rose to her feet, turning to face her friends. "I don't have much time, but you have to believe me. Everything's going to be alright."

"Okay. What the hell is going on?" Neptune demanded.

Venus however, decided she could really care less. She launched herself straight at Rei and threw her arms around the soldier, breaking down into uncontrollable sobs. Mars swallowed hard, and allowed herself to wrap her arms around the blonde. She couldn't remember much of anything anymore, but she certainly could remember what home felt like.

And this felt like home.

As the rain that had formed in the clouds above their heads finally began to pour down, Mars took it as a definite sign that she had to hurry.

"Hey Minako..."she murmured quietly. "I know you're going to hate me for this, but I have to go."

"_No." _the blonde stated firmly, tightening her hold. "I can't do this anymore Rei. I just can't."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop." Venus whispered, pressing her face into the Martian's neck. " Just stop right there. I don't know what you're doing, but we need you here. _I _need you here."

"But I have to." Rei replied softly. "This is my chance to take care of all of you. I can stop all of this, right now. No fighting, no blood. I just have to try."

Minako pulled back far enough to look into Rei's eyes. "But look at what's happening to you! Why did you even leave in the first place??"

Mars stiffened. "I didn't want to hurt you, but it seems like the more I've tried to prevent it, the more damage I do. The longer I stay here, the greater the risk. She'll find out I'm here, and it will ruin everything."

"Beryl?"

"Who else?" Rei replied bitterly. "I thought that if I could earn her trust, I might even get close enough to do some real damage, maybe even stop this whole chain of events."

"Alone?"

"It's better than watching you die!" Mars cried as her heart twisted painfully in her chest. "Face it. We don't have a chance unless someone does something drastic! I was given the chance, so I took it!"

"What has she done to you?" Minako asked quietly.

"They have been trying to brainwash me." Rei replied softly. "Aside from today, I've managed to hold on, but they've taken almost every memory I've ever made with you. All I'm sure of anymore is that I love you, and I'll protect you, no matter what."

"Don't go." Venus sobbed. "God, don't go. I don't need protection! I need you here!"

"I have to." she said firmly, gently disentangling herself from the blonde's arms. "Between Endymion and I, we can tear that place apart. He's been on the inside before, so he knows the layout. I'll be back, as soon as I can, in one piece. I promise. Please...just stay strong..."

Minako pulled Rei close and kissed her tenderly. She backed up slowly, eyes full of tears, and put on a false smile. "There. Just in case you forget again."

Rei swallowed the painful lump in her throat as tears stung her eyes. "Like I'd forget _that._"

"You better come back."

"I will." Mars opened a dark portal and hoisted Jadeite over her shoulder. "It'll look better for me if I bring the body back." she added quietly when she caught Michiru's quizzical look.

"Oh. Mars. One last thing." Neptune replied. "That bracelet. Mercury designed it to control the demon that had possessed you. I don't know how well it will work against all of that dark energy you'll be surrounded by, but something is better than nothing."

"Thank you. Anything is better than you beating me down again." Mars said quietly. "Please explain to the others..."

"Of course."

Mars looked over at Venus, and tried to ignore the horrible felling in her gut that it would be for the last time. "I do love you Mina. Please don't forget that."

"Hey, you're the one with the memory problem." Minako replied in a shaky voice, trying her best to put on a brave face. "And I love you too."

The Martian gave Venus a genuine smile. What the hell was she thinking, willingly leaving this behind? She shook her head roughly and jumped through the portal.


	19. Tyrant

Mars approached the Queen's throne, and dumped Jadeite to the floor.

Beryl rose from her seat and fixed the fire soldier with eyes like ice. "What is this??"

Rei flinched. Great. So much for looking tough. "We had a little mishap."

"Mishap?? One of the greatest generals of the Dark Kingdom is dead, and you call it a mishap??"

"Hey, I didn't do it." Mars growled, crossing her arms. "He tried to take on two of the soldiers alone, against my advice. I just collected the body."

"Have you no respect??" Kunzite snapped from her left.

"I don't have any respect for stupid people." Mars replied calmly. "He brought it upon himself."

"Well, did you even kill the ones who did this?" he demanded loudly.

"I tried." Mars answered truthfully. Hell, there was no lying in that statement.

"And how do we know you didn't do this?" A man next to Kunzite snarled.

"That's why I'm here." Rei said with a smirk. "The Queen can judge for herself."

Beryl smiled in response. She really liked this warrior. With that attitude and her power, she could even become the next general herself. "I suppose you couldn't garner any information either, what with your little 'mishap' and all."

"Actually, I did succeed in that aspect. The east wing, near the jail cell we broke into recently, has still not been repaired all the way. The walls will be soft there, and easy to bring down."

The Queen nodded. "Excellent. You may retire to your quarters for now."

Mars bowed stiffly, and calmly took leave, though her heart hammered in her chest. Funny. She hadn't felt Beryl trying to read her mind. Was it the bracelet? Ugh. She supposed it didn't matter. She needed to catch some must needed rest. She had to launch her strike, and soon. She had no idea where Endymion had been moved, so she supposed the next chunk of her day would revolve around trying to locate the prince.

'_This is going to save my soul, or kill me.'_

_--------------------_

"Queen Beryl! How could you let her go like that? For all we know, she's responsible for what happened to Jadeite!" a dark haired man growled out in frustration.

"Are you questioning me, Nephrite?" Beryl asked icily.

"No, my Queen. I'm just a little worried."

"Well you can relax. I checked her thoughts when she dropped off that sorry excuse for a general, and she wasn't lying to me."

Nephrite nodded stiffly.

"And Nephrite?"

"Yes, my Queen?"

"Question me again, and you'll join him." she added with a nod of her head to indicate Jadeite's corpse,

"I understand, my Queen."

"Good. Now after Mars has gotten some rest, I want you and the other generals to go over the invasion plans with her. With all that power she holds, she would be an invaluable asset to our front lines."

----------------------

Rei threw herself back on her mattress and groaned quietly. She knew all this stress couldn't be good for her nerves. What she wouldn't give now for a nice, stiff drink. She allowed her eyelids to flutter closed, and contemplated her next move.

-----------------------

"_What's so funny?" Venus asked with a quirked eyebrow._

"_I don't know, maybe it's the fact that she's the only person I know who needs an armed guard while she picks **flowers."** Mars said with a grin, keeping a watchful eye on the happily content Serenity._

"_She is unique." the blonde admitted with a smile of her own._

"_I don't think that's quite the word for it."_

"_Hey!" Serenity cried in confusion. "Why are you guys laughing?"_

"_Never you mind." Rei said with a nod. "Keep going. You're doing great."_

_The princess frowned. "Why does it sound like you're mocking me when you say that?"_

"_It's just how our Rei shows she's happy." Minako explained. "So keep going, you're doing great."_

"_Not you too!" The princess cried in a mock wail._

"_Hey wait. What's this 'our' Rei stuff? I don't remember belonging to anyone."_

"_If you want to get technical, you do belong to me." Serenity offered cheerily._

_Venus giggled. "Wow Mars, I didn't know you were so popular with the ladies."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_And with royalty no less..." Minako continued with a smirk._

"_Venus, I think it would be in the best interest for your safety and wellbeing that you completely kill that little chain of thought." Rei warned quietly._

"_Huh." Serenity added thoughtfully. "If you want to get really technical, that means Venus belongs to me too."_

_Mars snickered quietly. "You hear that Blondie?"_

_A light blush dusted Minako's cheeks. "Well...um..."_

"_Huh. Typical." Rei huffed, lying back on the grassy hill._

"_Why are guys getting all strange about it?" the princess questioned innocently. "Is it really that bad?"_

"_She can't be **that **naive." Mars muttered, closing her eyes and basking in the warm sun._

_Venus flushed brighter, and Serenity grew more perplexed. "I'm really not getting it." the princess announced quietly. _

_Rei cracked an eye open. "Our sweet little Minako is probably imagining all of us as your concubines."_

"_What?" Minako squeaked, echoed by Serenity._

"_Don't blame me. I'm just the hired muscle." Mars drawled._

"_Hey, you knew what I was thinking, so that meant you must have been thinking it too!" Venus cried victoriously. "You're just as bad as me!"_

"_You better take that back." the fire soldier warned._

"_Or what?"_

"_Or I'll beat you senseless." _

"_Rei!" Serenity admonished. "We both know you wouldn't hurt Minako, so don't say such things! Apologize!"_

_Mars pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at the princess in a state of wide eyed amazement. "You're kidding, right?"_

"_No. Consider it a royal order."_

_The fire soldier's jaw dropped open. _

"_I'm waiting." Serenity announced firmly, crossing her arms._

_Rei cast a look in Minako's direction. The Goddess of love gave threw her a dazzling smile and winked. _

_Mars twitched. "No. And not just no. Hell no."_

"_Hey now, what kind of apology is that?" Serenity said with a grin. "Give her a hug!"_

"_What?? I didn't swear an oath to do that! We're not little kids!"_

_Serenity fixed her with a stern look, and Mars rolled her eyes. "You know, I can hear my reputation dying a slow, horrible death."_

_She approached Venus, and wrapped her arms around the giggling blonde. Minako responded by returning the embrace, and lightly blowing into the soldier's ear._

_Mars leapt back red-faced. "Hey now!"_

"_What's the matter?" Serenity questioned. _

"_She's just all hot and bothered." Venus replied, blowing a kiss to Mars._

"_Oh, that's it!" Rei cried, leaping onto the blonde and tickling her mercilessly. She was pushed over by Serenity, and the two blondes tag-teamed the poor flustered Martian._

'_Funny.' Rei thought between laughing fits. 'It's not so bad to belong to someone.'_

_--------------_

A cool hand brushed her brow. "Mina?" Mars questioned groggily. The hand faltered.

"It's me, darling."

"Bwah?" The fire soldier rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up as her world came into focus. "I'm sorry mother. I guess I was dreaming."

"About what?"

"I don't know." Rei lied calmly. Another memory. Guess they couldn't take them all.

"What are smiling for?" the helper asked quietly.

"I have no idea. Probably my lack of sleep."

"Hm. Well, you did very well on your last mission, despite Jadeite. In fact, the Queen requests you attend a meeting with the other generals, and go over the invasion plans."

"Really?" the fire soldier asked, waking up immediately. This was her chance. Get the info, bring down the Dark Kingdom, save the world, and get back to her girl. Yeah. Not a problem. What could possibly go wrong?

"What troubles you?"

"I'm worried about Endymion." Rei answered truthfully.

"Why?"

"I'm worried he'll turn on us." Alright. Maybe that part wasn't the truth, but who was really counting anymore?

"I wouldn't worry about him. In fact, the Queen has him in her personal quarters."

"What? Why?"

The helper laughed. "She's quite enamored with the prince."

Mars suppressed a shudder. Poor Endymion. What kind of horrible torture had she inflicted upon the man? She really had to get moving now. They were all running out of time. "When's this meeting?"

"In a little bit. I came in to wake you up."

Rei nodded and studied the woman before her. Would she have to kill her as well? She was pretty certain that the helper was in fact her mother, or what was left of her anyway. She had become so cold and twisted after all the years spent in the dark powers thrall. She had been desperate when she had made her choice, but so had Mars. She couldn't really look down on someone when she had done the exact same thing, now could she?

There had been so many instances when the helper had shown she did, in fact, retain some sort of human emotion. The fire soldier swallowed hard. She doubted she'd be able to kill her, if it came down to that. She had failed her mother once, and she didn't want to do it again.

"You look so serious." her mother teased gently.

"Can't help it. I have huge responsibilities, and I don't want to let anyone down."

"You won't."

"That's right." Mars replied with a grin. "Because I can take what I want now."

"Exactly."

-------------------

Rei paced the confines of her room restlessly. So far, so good. She'd met with the generals, and they had seemed less than thrilled with her involvement, but at least she knew how they were planning to move their armies. Four separate groups., each led by a general. By attacking on all sides like they planned, it left no room for survivors or refugees as far as her people were concerned. They'd all be slaughtered like lambs.

A force that massive required that it be broken into smaller parts. That meant lots of portals, and Mars knew from experience that they were pretty unstable as it was. If she could get with Mercury and go over it with her, she had no doubts that they'd come up with something. If they could cut the force in half at the very least, they might actually stand a chance. Now she just had to live that long to share her wealth of knowledge.

She cracked her knuckles and stretched one last time, wondering for the ten millionth time if she were absolutely insane.

"Well, it's so crazy it has to work." she muttered aloud, nodding to herself in affirmation. Now. She had to go save Prince Charming.

"Some fairytale." Mars grumbled bitterly, stepping out into the hall and slamming the bedroom door behind her for the last time. "I'm getting way too old for this."

--------------------

With Beryl and the generals occupied, Mars decided to use this time wisely.

One guard was posted outside the Queen's quarters, and he was dozing. Rei thanked whoever was listening, and prepared herself. Once she took this step, no amount of charms or lies in the world would save her. Well, fortune favored the bold, right? She certainly hoped it was true as she approached the demon quietly, seizing his head in her hands and snapping his neck cleanly before his eyes even opened. She guided the body to the floor and eased herself through the door, steeling herself for whatever sights might befall her eyes.

Nothing in the universe could have prepared her for what she saw, however.

The Queen's main bedroom was all done in shades of black and purple. Pillows and cushions littered the black marble floor. A large, ornate bed took up the center of the room, and a chandelier hung from the high ceiling. "Nice." Mars muttered. "Reminds me of a giant bruise."

"Who's there?" cried a man's voice.

"Huh?" the soldier searched the adjoining room, all done in stone, with chains and numerous instruments of pain lined across a table. "Endymion??" she cried in shock, forgetting all about stealth.

The man was on his knees, chained to the far wall, wearing nothing but his underwear, covered in what could only be described as love bites.

His head snapped up and his eyes met hers. "Mars?? Oh thank GOD! Get me out of here!!"

"Uh...why are you in your underwear?"

He eyed her as though she were from another world. "Are you serious? Does that even matter now?? Just get my clothes. She put them in the chest there. Please, just get me out of here!"

"Sorry. It's just a bit of a shock." she apologized lamely. "I had expected all kinds of torture. Just...not that kind..."

"You owe me." he growled.

"I know." she replied quietly, grasping hold of the chain that bolted the prince to the wall, using her fire energy to heat the links until they were red hot.

"More than you'll ever be able to pay back."

"I know." Rei said again, yanking hard on the heated metal.

"I think you'll owe me for all eternity."

The chains finally gave way, and the prince sighed gratefully. Mars offered him a smile. "That I can understand. But how do you feel? I imagine an attack on Beryl will cause a fight. You up for it?"

He glared in response. "Up for it?"

"Alright. Bad choice of words."

"Very bad." The prince grumbled as she went to work melting the bolts that held the manacles on his wrists.

"There." she announced happily as the metal rings clanged to the floor. "Now for what it's worth, I am sorry."

"Is it honestly worth it?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"This suicide plan of yours."

Mars looked the prince in the eye. "It may save the people we both love."

Endymion nodded. "Then I guess it was all worth it. No further apologies."

"Well then, you want some revenge?" she asked, tossing the prince his clothing.

"Just tell me who to kill."

Mars grinned. "Everyone."

------------------

"So what's the plan?" Endymion asked softly, adjusting his belt. God, it felt good to have his clothes back. He seriously considered never removing them. Ever. "If we rush into the throne room, we'll be killed for sure."

"Well, I figured I could grab a hold of her and open a portal. If we can drag her somewhere where she couldn't summon any help, we might actually stand a chance. Her power seems to be held in that crystal ball in the throne room. Hopefully she'd be at a major disadvantage without it."

"You thought this out. But um, there's a big chance she'll kill both of us just by blinking funny."

Mars laughed quietly. "Probably. But it's better than doing nothing."

"Too true."

"And at the very worst, we need to try to destroy as much of their equipment as we can manage. The more we break, the less resources they'll have to move the army." She paused, eyeing the Earthling up. "Are you sure you're willing to do this? I mean, we're talking life and death. I can dump you off at the moon first if you prefer. I won't think any less of you."

He scowled. "You've seen the great Prince of Earth chained to a wall, in his underwear. How much more can I lose now, honestly?"

"I wasn't going to bring that up again." Rei muttered.

"What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment."

"Welcome to the team." Mars replied cheekily. "We make it out of here, you can help me design an emblem."

"Yay." the prince drawled.

Rei offered him a genuine smile. "You're not too bad. For an Earthling."

"Thanks." he replied with a grin.

"Now shut up. I need to concentrate." Mars said quietly. Funny thing about this dark power, once it was in you, you could feel it every time someone used it around you. With someone like Beryl, the surge would be tremendous. And there it was. "She's moving!"

"Which way?" Endymion asked quickly.

Rei pointed north, and the prince swore loudly.

"What?"

"She's headed straight for us."

The fire soldier grinned. "Fantastic." She summoned her energy into her fists, knowing full well she'd need it.

The door was thrown open, and the Queen entered the room, suddenly looking much larger than she had all the previous times Mars had been in her presence. Her eyes burned angry holes through the soldier's skull, and she had yet to even notice the prince. "What is the meaning of this??" she demanded angrily. "What happened to my guard??"

Mars drew herself into a battle stance. "I broke his neck."

Beryl's features curled into a snarl. "You dare try to turn on me?"

"I never sided with you to begin with." the soldier snapped back.

The Queen held her palm out in front of her, and dark energy began to crackle around her hand. "You forget. I _own_ you."

Rei was overcome with such a rush of dark power she began to feel dizzy. Her muscles began to scream in protest as she fought with everything she had to keep control of her limbs.

"Kneel!"

The soldier's knees began to buckle under her own weight, and she could feel herself giving in under the extreme pressure. She chanced a quick glance to her side, but Endymion was nowhere to be seen.

"I said kneel!"

Mars met the eyes full of burning hatred and focused on the few memories she had left, remembering her friends, and her home. She would die before she let this witch destroy any of that. "Only to Queen Serenity." she replied weakly, shaking under the strain of trying to remain on her feet.

"Those words will be your last!" the Queen hissed, releasing her hold on the Martian.

Rei stumbled back, gasping for breath, and realized in horror that Beryl had extended her fingernails out, like long sharp knives. _'I am in no shape to dodge all of those.' _Beryl lunged towards her, and the soldier lifted her arms to bring up a fire arrow, but the Dark Queen was too quick, coming within inches of the soldier's throat. Mars turned her face and shut her eyes, ready to die, but the pain never came.

Beryl let out an angry scream, and Rei snapped her eyes open, shocked to see an angry red gash down the Queen's cheek. She clutched her bleeding face in her hands and whipped around to face her assailant. Endymion stood in the doorway to her torture chamber, his features calm and devoid of any emotion.

Mars looked to the floor and saw a single rose embedded in the marble at her feet. _'What the hell? A flower??' _Beryl punched her hard in the solar plexus, sending her across the room and into the wall. The soldier winced as her skull connected with hard stone, but she shook it off quickly, pulling herself back up to her feet. The Dark Queen rushed at the prince now, blind with rage, and the soldier snapped back to reality, drawing her flaming arrow again and letting it fly, just as she was about to reach Endymion. The projectile lodged itself in the Queen's shoulder and the Martian was rather surprised she had hit her at all.

'_She's not invincible after all. She can bleed.'_

"Now would be a good time Mars!" the prince cried desperately, as Beryl resumed her attack on him. Her tingling sense alerted her to the fact that reinforcements were on the way, and lots of them. There was no way the two of them could hold off that many and still make it home. The fire soldier quickly opened a portal, and launched herself at Beryl, trying to draw her away from Endymion. She whipped out her dagger and leapt up, driving the small blade home into the wound she had created with the arrow.

The Queen hissed and spun to face her, moving with a speed that was ungodly quick. Her hands wrapped around the soldier's throat and she lifted Mars up off the floor.

"I will beat you until there's nothing left!"

The fire soldier grit her teeth and gripped Beryl's wrists as tight as she could with her hands, swinging forward and planting both boots firmly into the witch's midsection. Beryl staggered slightly but never released her grip, and Rei began to panic. The longer this went on, the stronger this woman was becoming. They had to act, and fast. Air was starting to become a major issue.

Endymion tackled Beryl from behind, pushing both her and Mars through the portal and jumping in after them. Rei felt her back slam into something very hard, and it jarred even Beryl. The iron grip on her throat loosened momentarily, and Mars took the opportunity to bring all the fire she could gather into her fist, swinging her arm up and catching Beryl into a full uppercut, sending the witch flying.

The soldier scrambled to her feet, gasping for air. The prince appeared at her side quickly, drawing his sword. "You alright?"

"I think so." Mars rasped, as the Queen regained her footing.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know." The Martian answered truthfully. They appeared to have landed in ruins of some sort. "I just opened a portal and hoped for the best."

"Well, here she comes." he announced wearily, charging forward to meet her. Beryl slammed him aside, as though he were nothing more than a mere toy, and headed straight for Mars, a bloodthirsty glint in her horribly red eyes.

Rei drew her sword and charged at the red haired witch, but the queen caught the blade it her bare hands and ripped it from her grasp. Mars retaliated by launching a fireball directly into her face, but Beryl brushed it aside as if it were nothing more than a bothersome insect. She grabbed the collar of the soldier's armor and pulled her close, staring straight through to her very soul.

"You could have been so much more. It's a pity that I have to kill you now. You had shown such great promise." her lips curled into a smirk. "But how fitting that we do this here on your home world."

The soldier's eyes widened, and Beryl laughed. "You can't even remember where we are? And you thought you could bring me down by yourself."

"Shut up!" Mars snapped, slamming her head forward and head-butting the Queen of Darkness. Beryl hissed in anger and punched the soldier hard in retaliation. Rei's world spun, and she realized that she was on the brink of losing consciousness.

"You will pay for your insubordination Mars, and so shall your friends. I will make their deaths slow and painful, just because of your little charade. How does that make you feel?"

"Go to hell." Rei rasped.

The Queen threw her to the ground, and began to beat her savagely. Mars couldn't even gather the strength to block the blows anymore, and she knew her end was close now.

"After you." Beryl snarled, turning the soldier's own sword on her, so the point rested on her abdomen. "Are you scared? I'm about to run you through with your own blade. You should have just followed me, Mars."

"I'd rather die standing, than live on my knees. I take comfort in the fact that I know you won't be far behind me." Rei retorted calmly. Dear God. She had always been taught that a stab through the abdomen was the most painful way to die, so she avoided using it on her enemies at all costs. No one deserved that.

Fate was a funny thing indeed.

'_Minako. I'm sorry.' _Tears stung her eyes, but she couldn't stop them. She had always sworn that she'd never die like this, crying like a small child.

"Why are you crying? This is what soldiers are for. Live and die by the sword, am I right?" Beryl said with an evil grin.

Endymion had finally gotten to his feet, but he was in no shape to help from what the Martian could see. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, and judging from the way he was holding his side, his ribs must have been shattered.

"Words of wisdom from a tyrant's mouth." Rei said weakly. "No more games. Just do it."

"As you wish." Beryl replied, raising the sword up.

'_I'm so sorry. I've broken every promise I've ever made. I'm sorry.' _Mars closed her eyes. She felt so tired, and old. She could hardly feel the cuts and bruises now, and she could only pray that in the next life, she'd get the chance to do things right.

The Queen let out a startled gasp, and Mars opened her eyes. The blade of a sword was protruding through Beryl's stomach from her back, and a dark red stain was rapidly appearing across the front of her purple dress.

"What?"

"Mars. Get out of here."

Rei pushed herself up. She knew that voice. Impossible.

"Go! Now!"

Beryl fell to the ground, unmoving, and Rei could see her assassin.

"Mother?" the soldier cried weakly.

"Hurry. I can't hold her for long."

"Why??"

The helper offered her a genuine smile. "I did everything all wrong. I just wanted to protect you, but look where it's brought us. You were right, all along. It took me this long to realize it. The more time I've gotten to spend with you, the more I saw the folly of my ways."

"But we can help you! We can finish her, right now!" Rei cried desperately.

"No. She'll heal, and be stronger than ever. So go. Take him, and go. I've destroyed what I could back at the palace, so that should buy your people some time."

Beryl was already beginning to stir, and Mars could see the wound on her back closing.

"Go!"

"Not without you!" Mars replied, voice cracking.

"Be strong. The black energy in your body will start to dissipate soon, but you'll pull through. I know you can. "

"I don't want you to die again!"

The helper ignored her, and opened a portal. "You." she said, gesturing to Endymion. "Get her out of her. This will take you back to the moon."

He nodded and moved towards Mars. "We have to go. Now."

The soldier's eyes welled up. "You don't understand. She's my mother."

"What kind of mother would do what I've done?" the helper asked calmly.

"You." Mars replied, understanding at last. "It was you, helping me all this time. You knew what I was going to do."

The Queen staggered to her feet.

"Go!" her mother shouted, pushing her through the portal. "And remember, I do love you, very much."

The world turned black, and then white.

Mars crashed hard, and the prince crashed down right on top of her. They both groaned in pain, and the soldier pushed him off.

"We have to help her." Rei said weakly, struggling to get to her feet. She waved her hand, but nothing happened. "Oh God, no..."

"Rei..." Endymion whispered.

She cried in frustration and drove her fist into the ground, so hard her knuckle split open.

"Honor her sacrifice." he said quietly. "I'm pretty sure that without her, we'd be dead, and now we do have time."

"But it was all for nothing!" Rei sobbed. "All of it! It was all for nothing!"

"Not true." he replied, wincing in pain as he spoke. "If you hadn't made the deal, she wouldn't have changed, and Beryl would still be unstoppable. But now, if we're lucky, they'll attack at half strength, and we can all make it out of this alive."

"This is all my fault."

"No." he said calmly. "You did what you set out to do. That's what's important. So honor her sacrifice. Don't run off and get yourself killed."

She wiped away her tears. He was right. God, he was right. Now they actually stood a chance, all thanks to her mother. "You know what Endymion?"

"Huh?"

"It's definitely the end of the world when you start making sense."

He laughed, and then immediately groaned as another wave of pain hit. "That's wonderful and all, but do you think we can see a medic now?"

She nodded wearily and rose to her feet, helping the prince up. A cool breeze picked up, and soothed her battered nerves. It was so good to be back on the moon. The palace looked so warm and inviting, and tears sprang to her eyes once more. "Is it just me, or does the palace look like it's really far away?"

"Ugh. Really, really far." he replied tiredly. "Here. You help me, and I'll help you."

"Deal." She draped and arm over his shoulder, and he draped one over hers, and together they staggered wearily towards the gates.

"Damn. I think I lost my sword..." he muttered quietly.

"That's okay. I'm sure Serenity will pick you lots of roses, if you ask her nicely."

He scowled. "I was out of options."

"But seriously. You went after the Dark Queen with _flowers._ What kind of moron fights with flowers?"

He laughed weakly. "Saved your life."

"I guess."

"Mars?"

"Yeah?"

"Are they going to lock me up again?" he asked plaintively.

She just couldn't help it. She laughed so hard she almost dropped the prince, and it certainly didn't help her battered body any. "If they try, just throw some flowers at them." she rasped, as bouts of pain racked her already aching muscles.

Endymion groaned.


	20. Home

"Rei!! It's really you!!"

"Huh?" Mars looked up wearily at the sound of her name, and tried to brace herself for what was coming.

A flying pig-tailed mass of blonde energy darted through the gates and tackled the fire soldier roughly, knocking her and Endymion to the ground. She winced in pain, but allowed the blonde to continue squeezing the hell out of her.

"Heh. I missed you too, Princess."

Endymion groaned painfully beside her. "I don't understand. How do you people even heal up? It seems like something traumatic is always happening."

Mars patted the sobbing princess' back. "You get used to it after a while."

"Oh, we were all so worried about you. Don't you _ever_ do something stupid like that again!" Serenity wailed tearfully.

"Hey, it's alright. I promise, never again."

"Are you hurt?"

"Not much." Rei lied smoothly. In all reality, she felt as though she were going to drop over dead. Beryl had beaten her soundly, and she felt as though she didn't have anything left to give.

"Oh my God, look at you. You're hurt badly! Almost every square inch of you is turning purple!"

"I think he's worse." Mars replied with a nod of her head. "I should probably get him to a medic."

Serenity seemed to notice the prince for the first time. "Are you alright, Endymion?"

"Been better." he answered truthfully.

The princess finally released Rei, and moved towards the prince, dropping down beside him and taking his hand in hers. "I do thank you, on behalf of my kingdom."

"I'm just glad that I was able to help. I feel bad for my behavior earlier."

Mars snickered quietly. "Yeah, he more than paid his dues."

"But that's a story for another time." Endymion replied stiffly, staggering as he rose to his feet.

Serenity insisted upon helping Mars up, despite her efforts to shake the blonde off. "I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not. You can hardly stand."

"Hey, the pretty boy and I were doing just fine until someone knocked us over." Rei teased gently. But inside, she felt as though her heart would burst. She had wanted nothing more than to come home, and now that she was here, it felt like a dream, like she'd wake up any minute now back in that dark little room, wondering if she were truly going insane.

"Hm. Maybe I should get Minako?"

Rei's heart fluttered. "As much as I'd love nothing more than to see her, I owe it to Endymion to get a doctor."

"Alright. We'll get you settled in, and then I'll go find her. Chances are you won't get much rest around her anyway."

"I could say the same for you." the soldier's face became a mask of pain, and concern flooded the princess' features.

"You know, you can lean your weight on me, Rei. I'm stronger than I look."

"I know." Mars said with a warm smile, allowing the princess to assist her inside.

Jupiter met them at the door. "Damn! It really is you, Mars! What happened??"

"Long story."

The thunder soldier winced. "You look like hell."

"Thanks."

The brunette eyed the wounded prince. "You need some help?"

"No."

"Yes. He does." Rei cut it. "We were beaten pretty badly."

"Obviously." Makoto grasped the prince around the waist and hoisted him up easily.

"Oh come on." he muttered quietly. "I can't have a little pride?"

"Not in this place." the fire soldier commented dryly.

Serenity eased her through the door to the infirmary, and Mars couldn't help but chuckle. She felt like she had spent a vast majority of her life in this room already.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just good to be home."

"And you have no idea how worried we all were." The princess replied, helping Rei onto a bed.

"I'm sorry, Serenity. Trust me. You have no idea how sorry I really am."

"It's alright." the blonde replied quietly, taking in the Martians beaten form under real lighting. Her armor had been scorched and dented in numerous spots, some clearly in the form of a fist. "She's a real monster, isn't she?" Serenity whispered, lightly tracing the outline of the blow Mars had received at the battles beginning back in the Queen's quarters.

"We hardly made a dent." Rei admitted softly. "But I'll tell you this. She can bleed. She's no god by any means."

"Please, Rei, please don't fight all by yourself anymore." the princess murmured as her crystal blue eyes filled with tears. She wrapped her arms around her guardian's neck and pressed her lips to the soldier's cheek. Mars buried her face in the crook of her princess' neck and sighed deeply. She had missed all of them so much it hurt.

"I won't."

"You know that we all love you."

Mars swallowed hard. "I know. Just being here with you like this makes me wonder what in the hell I've been thinking."

Serenity smiled warmly and dried her eyes. "I better go get Minako now. She's been worried sick about you, even more than me, I think."

Rei was about to reply but a resounding crash from next door silenced her.

"What was that?" the princess cried worriedly.

"I should go check." Mars replied, wincing as she began to push herself out of bed.

"Oh no, you stay there. Jupiter's nearby."

No sooner had she spoken the words and a rather sheepish looking Makoto opened the door and peeked her head in. "We're having a slight problem with Endymion."

"Is he alright?" Rei asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure." the brunette replied, scratching her head. "The doctor tried to remove his clothing, and he went nuts."

Mars burst into laughter, and immediately clutched her aching sides. "Oh," she cried weakly. "I can't blame him."

Jupiter and Serenity eyed her strangely, and the soldier waved her hand. "Don't ask. Just...let him be. He's had a long day."

"Alright. I guess." Makoto replied. "I'm going to get Mercury."

Rei sighed. "Might as well get them all. They need to know what's happening. And besides," she added with a smile. "I missed you guys."

Jupiter leaned in towards the princess, and asked in a stage whisper, "Who is she, and where is Rei?"

The princess giggled in response and Mars rolled her eyes. "Fine. Whatever."

"Much better." Makoto said with a grin. "I'll be back."

Serenity chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. "Maybe I should go check on the prince?"

"I think he'd like that." the soldier replied with a nod. "He's not too bad, once you get to know him."

The blonde arched an eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Hey, we had quite the ordeal. I'm just saying, he's not that bad. I didn't say I wanted to bear his children or anything. "

"That's not what I meant!" Serenity cried, obviously flustered. "It's just that I can remember when you hated him."

Rei cast her eyes down to her lap and fidgeted nervously. "That's because he was trying to take you from us. We all hated him."

"Oh, Rei..." the princess murmured quietly.

"Come on now. No need to get all teary eyed." the soldier replied with a lopsided grin. "So go on. I think he'll appreciate it."

Serenity nodded. "Promise you won't move?"

"I promise."

The princess took her leave, and as soon as the door shut behind her, Mars set to work at removing her armor. The gauntlets and greaves were easy enough, but the rest was a different matter altogether. After fighting for several agonizing minutes, she gave up and lay back on the mattress once more.

The room had gone still and quiet at last, and she could finally hear herself think. It was funny. For so long, she hadn't minded being alone. She had always welcomed the peace and quiet solitude had entailed, but now she didn't want it anymore. Maybe it was all the stress. For the past few days, everything had happened so quickly, and now that things had settled down for the most part, she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

But as the deafening silence dragged on, she became positive that it wasn't the stress making her feel this way. She was honestly lonely, and she wanted to see Minako above all else. Venus had waited so long for her, and Rei was pretty tired of waiting herself. She was about to pull herself out of bed and hunt the blonde down when the door cracked open, and the object of her affections entered the room.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Rei replied calmly, though she was sure she was going to explode if Minako didn't get over here.

Venus gave her a shaky smile, and the soldier was about to ask her what was wrong, but before she could get the words out, the blonde ran to her and threw her arms around the fire soldier, sobbing openly.

"Maybe I should leave again." Rei joked quietly. "I finally come home and all I seem to do is make everyone cry."

"Don't you even joke like that, Mars." Minako choked out, holding her tight.

"I'm sorry." Rei whispered, dropping light kisses on her jaw line. "I'm so sorry."

"Promise me you'll never leave."

The fire soldier swallowed painfully. All things considered, that was not a promise she should make.

"Promise. Please. I...I need to hear it."

"I promise Mina. I swear, I'll never leave your side again."

"Good." the blonde replied at last, drawing back slightly and smiling through her tears. "Because I'm tired of you running off only to end up in the infirmary."

"That makes two of us." Rei said with a faint smile, running her fingers through golden silk. God, it felt so good to be home. As she breathed in the sweet scent that was uniquely Mina, she wondered what would've happened had Beryl succeeded in killing her. Her heart twisted painfully in her chest as she tried to push those thoughts aside. That didn't matter anymore. She had the here and now, right? Maybe fate wasn't so cruel after all, and just maybe, there'd be a little more hope in the bottom of Pandora's box.

A gentle warmth had permeated her aching bones and muscles, and she had found a sense of peace that had been missing for so long. Looking into those cerulean blue eyes however, she felt the sharp pang of loss for the memories she had given up in sacrifice.

"What's wrong?" the blonde asked quietly.

"It hurts."

"Oh, God, am I sitting on your arm or something?" Venus cried worriedly, leaping to her feet.

"No, no. Come back over here." Rei said with a sigh, catching her hand and pulling the blonde back down beside her.

"What hurts then?"

"I was just thinking about all the memories I've lost. The fact that I can't remember the things I've done with you stings." Mars admitted quietly, dropping her eyes.

Minako leaned forward and kissed the fire soldier tenderly before meeting her eyes. "It's alright, Rei, and I'll tell you why. I'll help you remember everything you've forgotten, and for every memory you've lost, we'll make a new one."

"I knew there was a reason why I love you so much." Rei said with a warm smile, drawing the blonde in for another kiss.

"I would hope so." Minako replied breathlessly.

A timid knock at the door startled them both, and the fire soldier let out a frustrated growl. "I'll kill whoever that is."

Venus laughed softly. "Stop it. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you, so settle down."

Mercury entered the room, and the fire soldier's features light up into a smile. "Ami! It's so good to see you!"

The bluenette crossed the room quickly and threw her arms around Mars in a surprisingly tight hug, mumbling quietly against her raven hair. The only words Mars could pick out were 'moron' and 'stupid.'

"Hey, Ami. I'm not leaving any time soon. You don't have to squeeze so hard."

"We were worried."

"I know."

She ran critical blue eyes over the various welts and bruises, and simply shook her head.

"I know. You don't have to say anything." Rei mumbled.

"Hm. All I'll say is that I'm getting really tired of sewing you back together."

"But Ami, there's not another person in the universe that I trust more than you when it comes to needles. You have gentle hands."

Mercury's face flushed.

The blonde beside her arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow, and Rei laughed, doubling over slightly when her bruised ribs protested the action.

"That's what you get." Minako teased playfully.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ami asked skeptically.

"Nothing I can't pick up later."

"Not with that attitude." Venus remarked.

Yes, it was definitely good to be home.

----------------------

"Are you serious?" Jupiter asked quietly. "Your mother?"

Mars nodded, the group surrounding her having gone deathly silent.

Minako squeezed her hand as a show of silent support, and Rei flashed her a grateful smile.

"Well, this proves that she's not invincible." Haruka said at last. "We honestly stand a chance now."

"That's all I had wanted, all along." Rei replied. "I wanted to give all of us a fighting chance. Maybe my methods weren't the best, but I had all of you in my heart. I'm sorry, for the grief and worry I must have caused all of you."

Uranus chuckled lightly. "Not the best? Look at the shape the two of you are in."

"And I haven't even gotten to check the full extent of your injuries." Ami added.

"Hey, soldier's healing. I'll be up in a day." Rei replied calmly.

Neptune sighed. "Even so, we only have five days left. Four, in a matter of hours, and that's even assuming that Beryl hasn't gone stark raving mad and is marching here as we speak."

The group fell into another dark silence. Mars felt that despite everything, it was still a little hard to be optimistic, and she could tell by the expressions on the faces of her comrades that she was not alone in her line of thinking.

"Let's not worry about that." Luna said suddenly from her perch on the bed. "It won't really do any of us any good right now, and it will only serve to lower our morale. Mars is back in one piece, the prince included. No one is seriously wounded, and things are really starting to look up, as far as our situation goes. I'm sure Mercury can use the knowledge Mars brought back with her, and together we can find a way to use it to our advantage, so no more moping."

The princess grinned. "She's right. I think, that for the next couple of days, it's important that we all enjoy ourselves."

Mars cast her a dubious look. "Are you sure that's wise?"

"Absolutely. Like my mother said, it will remind everyone what it is that they fight for."

"But what if she really is on her way here?" Makoto questioned worriedly.

The fire soldier's eyes stung as her mother's final moments flashed briefly across her mind, and to think that she was actually worried that she would be the one to kill her...

"No." Mars replied firmly. "I saw the shape that witch was in, and judging from what my mother said, we do have time, maybe more than we think we do."

"Then it's settled." Artemis said with a nod. "We find a way to deal with the dark portals, and then everyone takes a much needed breather."

"I don't think I can remember how to relax." Haruka mumbled faintly.

----------------

"Do you need some help with that?" Minako asked quietly, a bemused expression gracing her features.

Rei threw up her hands in defeat and sighed helplessly. "Stupid witch bashed up my sides so much I can even undo the clasps on my armor. I think they've been melted shut."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, and I'm not even sure how that could have possibly happened."

"Let me get this straight. You're the master of fire, but you can't figure out how something metal would melt?"

"I didn't do it to myself!" Rei growled, overly frustrated.

"Hey, relax, alright? I can give you a hand." Venus replied gently, setting to work and prying the clasps apart. "You can't do everything by yourself all the time. The rest of us would start to look useless."

"Sorry." Mars mumbled. "It's just that the past few days have been pure hell."

Cerulean eyes flickered up briefly from the task at hand. "I think I can understand how you feel."

Rei winced. "You must have hated me."

"Maybe a little." Minako replied quietly. "I thought for sure I'd never see you again., then I finally do see you, only to find out that you were apparently working for her. I think my heart broke."

"Mina..."

"I can't ever remember feeling that lost in my whole life, you know? And then you come back again, only to tell me that you're leaving on some suicide mission. You can't even begin to imagine what that did to me. I was so worried that you'd be killed, and the worst part was, even if something did happen to you, I'd never know." she paused briefly to brush a stray tear, and laughed weakly. "Look at me. And I'm supposed to be the leader. Some leader. I couldn't even hold myself together, much less the others."

Rei suddenly felt very sick.

"But here you are, alive, and back home with me." the blonde glanced up again as tears filled her eyes. "But you know, all I can think about is the fact that something else is going to happen, and when it does, you're _not _going to be okay, and you're _not _going to come home. That breaks my heart even more. Why does everything have to be this way??"

"I...I don't know..."

Minako gave her a shaky, broken smile. "Can't we leave? Can't we just...I don't know...go somewhere, where everything isn't life and death all the time? I just want to live in peace sometimes. It starts to feel like the weight of everything is chained to my shoulders, and I can't put it down." she shook her head. "We can't leave, can we? Even if we could, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Mars reached out a trembling hand and intertwined her fingers with Minako's. "There's something I've learned just from being with you."

"What's that?" Venus asked wearily.

"Guilt, pain, suffering, the weight of everything. It gets lighter. It gets lighter everyday, if you drag it around long enough., especially if you've got someone next to you to help pull the weight."

"Really?"

"Yes." Rei said with a nod. "And I should know. I carried around a horrible guilt with me for the longest time, and I almost let Beryl use that guilt against me. But somewhere, in the back of mind, was you, and no matter how many memories they took away from me, they couldn't take away the feeling of home that I would get whenever I thought of you. That's how I held onto my control, because I knew no matter what they said to me, you, and the others, would never turn your back on me because of my past."

"Your past?"

"Let's just say there's a reason that I don't talk about what happened before I came to live on the moon."

"You always were a bit strange whenever someone brought it up." Minako replied softly.

"But the point is, I know you wouldn't think any less of me. And I promise, no matter what happens, you don't have to go it alone anymore. No more stupid stunts out of me, I swear."

The blonde laughed lightly. "Are you sure about that? You are a Martian."

Rei shrugged. "True. But that's a much better look for you. You're beautiful when you smile, and for what it's worth, I'll apologize until the end of time if that's what it takes."

Minako leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the soldier's neck. "You don't have to apologize. Just be here, alright?"

Mars grinned. "You're the boss."

"Good. I see you haven't forgotten _everything._"

"Low blow..." Rei grumbled playfully as the blonde pulled her in for a tender kiss.


	21. Wunderkind

**AN : ZOMG! An update!! Stupid life, getting in the way of all the important things, like slash. XD I don't know how many of ya are still with me on this, but it will be finished, even if it _kills _me.**

--

"See? I told you it wasn't that bad."

Minako frowned. "Alright, apparently we were listening to two different Ami's."

"Relax. It's just a few bruises."

"A few? Rei, you still have handprints on your throat."

"They'll fade."

"How can you be so calm about this?" the blonde demanded.

"Well, I don't know. How can you be so hysterical?"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

"Good." Rei replied with a grin. "I'd really hate it if you dropped me."

"I don't even think this is a good idea." Minako grumbled. "You should be in bed, resting."

"And I will be, in my own bed."

The blonde laughed nervously. "Um...about that..."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Mars winced and shifted the arm currently slung over Minako's shoulder as she limped down the corridor. "What did you do to my room?"

"I just borrowed it while you were gone."

Rei sighed. "Why do I suddenly have horrific visions of butterflies and flowers?"

"Oh, stop it. You know as well as I do that my fetish is strictly pink silk."

The fire soldier paled.

"Oh no. Did I hurt you?" Venus cried worriedly.

"No. But you _are_ scaring me."

Minako giggled. "I wouldn't do anything like that, so relax."

"I don't know..."

Venus rolled her eyes. "I have more respect than that. "

"Yeah, we'll see." Rei scoffed as they rounded the corner albeit slower than she would have liked. She hated being wounded, and if there was anything she hated more than that, it was needing help. She shouldn't have been surprised really, now that she thought about it. She should have guessed that the minute she pushed herself out of bed with every intention of sleeping in her own room, the blonde at her side would have thrown a fit. And she had, even offering to carry the soldier to her room.

Like the Martian would let that happen. Venus just had to settle for escorting Rei through the palace, and as much as she hated to admit it, she did need the help. Her whole body throbbed, and all of Ami's poking and prodding looking for more serious injuries hadn't helped matters. A bath. That's what she needed. A nice hot bath.

"I want a bath." Rei mumbled, a little whinier than she had intended.

"Really? That's a shame, 'cause this whole blood, sweat, and bruises thing is turning me on." Minako replied coolly.

Mars flushed. "Knock it off."

"Heh. Admit it. Now you're all hot and bothered."

"Smartass."

"Watch it. I _will _drop you." Minako warned playfully.

"My hero." Mars drawled.

Venus responded by giving her a quick peck on the cheek and a nervous smile. "We're here. Just lean up against the wall for a minute so I can get the door open."

The fire soldier nodded mutely, grimacing when her shoulder popped loudly in protest. Minako was back by her side, carefully winding her arm around the Martian's waist and helping her through the doorway.

"There we go. Just um...watch your step."

"My step?" Rei surveyed her room, jaw dropping in shock. Her room had always had a perfect sense of harmony, everything where it belonged, neat and tidy, no extras or clutter. She had a soldier's room, clean and clear of any non-essentials. But not anymore. It had been completely trashed. The blonde's clothing littered the room, and things had been tossed about haphazard. She squinted downwards at the long, pink fuzzy thing running the length of her bed on the floor.

"What the hell is that??"

"Um...a rug?"

"That I can see. But why does it have _fur_?"

"My feet were cold!" Minako squeaked out. "I have no idea how you can live in such a cold, empty room."

Rei sighed, and glanced about at the clothing covering every possible inch of her room. "And I don't understand. I was only gone for a little while. How could you have possibly gone through that many articles of clothing?"

"I was nervous. And stressed. Very stressed. Spent a lot of time in here pacing. Are you mad?"

Mars surveyed the remains of her sanctuary and laughed. "No. I'm not sure why, but no."

"Good. Let's get you into bed, and I'll run you a bath."

"Best idea I've heard yet." Rei replied, limping through the path Minako graciously made for her by kicking things aside.

The fire soldier lay back on her mattress, groaning slightly as the motion put strains on her bruised ribs. She rested her head back on a wonderfully soft pillow, and let out a sigh of contentment. This satisfied the blonde, who trotted off to run the bath as promised. Rei draped an arm over her eyes and chuckled quietly. After everything that had gone on lately, she felt like it was a crime to get angry at Minako. Had the situations been reversed, Mars was almost certain she would have holed herself up in the blonde's room, with less destructive consequences of course. That aside, she just couldn't get comfortable, and figured it had something to do with the uneven angle her pillow was positioned in.

She frowned lightly, and slid her hand under her pillow to find whatever it was that was making such an uncomfortable lump, half expecting to find more clothing. What she did feel, however, was a furry limb. She slid the item out from under her head, and held it up where she could see it. A stuffed bear. A very mangled stuffed bear.

Minako popped into the room from the doorway to the bath and gave her a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful. What's this?" the Martian questioned, dangling the bear out in front of her by a tattered limb.

The blonde's face fell. "You don't remember?"

Rei shook her head guiltily, but Minako burst into a bright smile anyway.

"Hey, it's alright, don't worry about it." She crossed the room and retrieved her childhood friend, holding the bear upright. "This is Mister Booboo Alfred Whitmore Sprinkle Sparkle the Third."

"...are you serious?"

The blonde blinked. "Yes."

"Figures."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Venus asked indignantly.

Mars laughed quietly. "It's just typical for you, I guess."

"Yeah, well, you laughed at me back then too."

"I did?"

"Oh yeah. You and the bear go way back."

Rei arched an eyebrow. "Now you're just making that up."

The blonde shook her head and grinned. "You even took him hostage once. Haruka almost beat you senseless."

The fire soldier let out a huff of air. "I suppose it's a good thing I can't remember that."

"She was just trying to be a hero." Minako replied, smiling fondly at the memory. "The princess and I had tried to get you to dress up into something frilly, but you wanted no part of it."

"There's a shock." Mars deadpanned.

"We tried to corner you, but you bolted and got a hold of my bear, threatening to rip his arms off. Of course, I got all upset, and Haruka being who she is, threatened to rip _your_ arms off if you didn't return him." The blonde giggled. "End result, I got my bear back, and you ended up in a frilly little pink dress."

Rei laughed quietly. "Now I really dislike that bear. But tell me something. Why was it under _my _pillow?"

"I guess he's a comfort thing, you know? I've had him about as long as I can remember, and it made me feel better to have him close by." she smiled again, and it brightened the dark room. "Some leader, huh? I need a stuffed bear to fall asleep."

"I won't say anything if you won't." the fire soldier replied quietly. "And for what it's worth, you're a good leader."

"You're sure you're not just a little biased when you say that?"

Rei smiled. "Hey, I mean it. I thought it even before all of this happened."

Minako fidgeted with her bear. "I still think you'd be better at it than me."

"Yes, because my random acts of violence have paid off well." the Martian replied, gesturing to her banged up body. "You hold the rest of us together, even during times of crisis. I could never do something like that. I get an idea into my head, I go with it, and it usually ends in great deals of unpleasantness."

"Funny." Venus said, cocking her head. "I used to think that we fought so much because you had an issue with me being the leader."

"No. We fought so much because you aggravated me."

Minako smirked. "Not as much as you annoyed me."

"Maybe this really was meant to be."

"I keep telling you that, but you won't listen." the blonde replied, laying the bear down. "And I do think your bath is ready, so let's get you into it."

--

"Oh my God."

"What, do I really look that bad without clothes?"

Minako flushed. "That's NOT what I meant."

"Alright. Just checking."

"I had no idea you were banged up this badly."

Mars winced as she lowered herself into the tub. "She got a few lucky shots in."

"A _few?_"

"I don't understand why everyone is making such a big deal about it. It's _our job_ to get beaten up."

"Rei, we have to face this woman in less than a week. If she can do this to _you_, what can she do to our army??"

Mars swallowed hard. She knew how the blonde felt. After her last encounter with that witch, she really didn't want to face her again, and to be quite honest, she was terrified of the damage Beryl could do, after experiencing it first hand. "Hey, Mina, worrying about it now isn't going to help anything, you know? We just have to keep taking it one day at a time."

"Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"What if these are the only days we have left?"

"Easy." The Martian replied as calmly as she could. "We make these the best days we've ever had."

"Aren't you scared?"

'_Fucking terrified. I'll lose you, I'll lose my friends, I'll lose everything I've ever cared about.' _The fire soldier shook her head. "No. Desperation is the best motivation, and she is no God by any means." _'Tell yourself something long enough, and it starts to become true.'_

Minako dropped to her knees beside the clawed bathtub, and wrapped her arms around the Martian's shoulders from behind. "I've never been so scared."

"It'll be alright. I promise." Mars replied gently, reaching up and back to stroke her cheek with the back of her hand. _'If I only knew today what I knew yesterday. I think my whole life has been backwards.'_

Venus let out a choked sob near the soldier's ear, and Rei felt her heart break. What had happened to the sweet, cheerful girl she had fallen in love with? Who was this terrified girl holding on to her now, shaking to the bone?

"Minako...why don't you join me? There's plenty of room."

Rei felt rather than saw the blonde nod in response, and the arms that had been wrapped around her shoulders disappeared. She rested her head back against the edge of the tub, closing her eyes and willing her hammering heart to slow down. She made it a point, then and there, to make sure the next few days would be the most enjoyable Minako had ever had.

There was a gentle rustle of fabric as Venus disrobed, and Rei held out a hand to help steady the blonde as she stepped into the bath. Minako flushed prettily, taking the offered hand gracefully as she slid into place across from the fire soldier.

"You okay?"

Minako sniffled and laughed quietly. "I'm sorry. I think all the stress from the past few days finally hit me."

"I think I know what you mean. Come over here?"

The blonde smiled and it lit up the room, putting Rei at ease almost instantly. It was amazing really, what she could do to the fire soldier without saying a word. "Oh Rei, putting the moves on me?"

Mars arched an eyebrow.

"Alright, but are you sure this is a good idea? You're still all banged up."

"I'll be fine. Just get over here."

"How about we do this my way?" Venus murmured softly, guiding the fire soldier towards her instead. Rei didn't protest as Minako wound her arms around her waist, and pulled the Martian back against her chest. "Let me help you, alright? Just lean against me."

The raven haired girl complied, sighing as the warmth of the water and her lover eased away her pains.

--

"Are you feeling better?"

"I'm actually a little more worried about you." Rei replied softly, easing herself down onto her bed. "You're not acting like yourself, and it's a little scary."

Minako grinned. "I guess that makes us even."

The fire soldier tilted her head. "Two points for your side. I'll give you that."

The blonde laughed quietly and dropped herself down on the mattress, bouncing Mars rather violently.

"You know, Mina, for someone so small, you can throw your weight around."

"Are you implying that I've gotten fat?"

"Uh, no. That's why I started that sentence with someone so small..."

"Right." Venus ran her fingers through damp raven locks, and pressed a kiss to Rei's temple. "How about we get some rest? You really need to heal up."

"Promise me something first."

"What's that?" Minako asked gently.

"You'll be here when I wake up."

The blonde was taken aback. "Where else would I be?"

Rei grinned sheepishly. "I'm not sure. But I just can't shake this feeling."

"It's going to be okay." Minako replied softly. "I'll be here."

The Martian wrapped an arm haphazard around the blonde's waist, pulling her closer and kissing her tenderly, reveling in the warmth. Minako tasted like everything sweet and pure, and it twisted her heart in her chest to think about what she had almost lost. Everything with the blonde felt new, and she wasn't sure if it was parts she had lost, or just the simple fact that she could be near her again.

Mars buried her face in Minako's shoulder and let out a shaky sigh. Everything just felt so goddamned scary right now.

Venus said nothing as she eased herself back onto the mattress, bringing Mars down with her.

--

Bright sunlight poured through the open window, and Rei growled as the golden rays stirred her from her slumber. One more night gone. That meant yet another day lost.

That thought alone snapped her awake, causing her muscles to tense. She stifled a groan and willed herself to relax, lest she wake the blonde sleeping so peacefully on her chest. Mars shifted herself just enough to drop a kiss on the top of Minako's head, and idly began running her fingers through the golden waterfall splayed across them both.

Four days. Just four days.


	22. Do you ever wonder?

**AN : Updaaaaaate! Told you I wasn't giving up on this beast, though it was getting to the point where I was afraid I was going to have to sacrifice a Chibi-Usa or two to get some work done on it. Got more in the works, so hopefully things will run smoother as far as updates are concerned. I do wish Neptune would quit bugging me though. I swear, I can feel her sitting in the back of my brain, jabbing me with a sharp, pointy stick and demanding I write something starring her. **

_-------------_

"You think she's okay?" Makoto asked worriedly, casting a wary glance down the hall.

"Of course she is." Minako sighed. "It's the Queen. What's she going to do, bite her?"

"Good point." the jovian laughed. "How has she been?"

Her leader fidgeted. "About that..."

Green eyes widened. "Minako."

Venus remained silent.

"Is she alright?" Jupiter asked again, her tone serious. "We can't afford to be messing around right now."

"I know that!" Minako cried, dropping her gaze. "It's just that...well.." she blonde chewed on her lower lip nervously. "There are some things that seem a bit, I don't know, off..."

"Off, like how?" Makoto asked warily.

"There are just moments where she looks completely lost. Seriously lost, like she has no idea where she is. I've seen her look completely baffled when someone she's known for years asks her a question, like she has no clue who they are."

"Well, that wouldn't surprise me. God only knows what she hasn't told us." the brunette sighed. "She and Endymion both told us about how that witch loves to tamper with memories."

"What if, I don't know, what if she's not...completely her?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can't just suck all of that out of a person and leave it empty. It had to be filled with something."

"But it's her, right?" Makoto asked quietly. "You're the closest to her, and if anyone would know, it would be you."

Minako's mind flittered back to the previous night and a light blush tinted her cheeks. "It's her. I know that."

"Then we trust in her." Jupiter replied with a lopsided grin. "Now is not the time to be losing faith."

Down the hall, the door to the war room creaked open, and Mars appeared, turning to hold the door for the Queen. Serenity said something to the martian that the soldiers couldn't hear, and Mars dropped her gaze to the floor. The Queen placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke again, now indicating the waiting pair with a slight tilt of her head. The fire soldier nodded stiffly as the Queen took her leave, and made her way back down to the others.

"Everything okay?" Minako asked with forced cheeriness.

"Yeah." Rei mumbled quietly. "I have to go see Ami now." she cast a sideways glance at Jupiter. "Happen to know where I could find her?"

The brunette chuckled. "Prince Charming isn't as blessed as we are. He's still cooped up in the infirmary, and that's where Ami will be."

"Ah." Dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Minako and Makoto exchanged knowing glances.

"I'm kinda headed that way." the blonde offered. "Want to join me?"

Mars flashed her a grateful smile, and as they departed, Jupiter couldn't help the pang of worry that ran through her. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

-------------------

"Do you think you could open a portal again?" Ami questioned.

"I don't know. I was told the power would dissipate, and besides, I'd be more worried about what would come through."

The soldier of ice frowned.

"Do it." Venus piped up. "Try to, anyway. We need all the help we can get, and if portals are her sole means of transporting the army, we need to find a way to dispatch them."

Mars cast a worried glance in her direction.

"We have to try." Venus continued. "And I'll be here should anything come through."

Rei shifted restlessly. What she was concerned about was her control. The power was a link, that much she was certain of. By using it, would she be opening her mind again? Her body was still far from a complete recovery, and she knew from past experience it meant a loss of control. Queen Serenity's earlier words haunted her, but truth be told, they were reaching the end of their rapidly fraying rope. There had to be something, anything, she could do to keep them all alive...

"Alright, but get Haruka."

Venus shifted nervously. "What? Why?"

Mars crossed her arms. "I'm still weak, and if things get out of hand, I need someone here that can stop me."

The blonde shot her an indignant look and Rei found herself biting back a laugh. "Hey, I'm not insulting your abilities here, I know you can take me, and you've done it before."

The ice soldier coughed into her fist.

Rei quirked an eyebrow at the gesture, her expression bemused. "What, I'm gone for a few days and now even Ami is a pervert?" She pondered this over for a moment, and cast a confused glance at Minako. "Was she like this before? Did I forget something again?"

Venus choked back bubbling laughter and waved her hand dismissively as a horrified Mercury flushed crimson red.

"But seriously, Minako, I need someone who won't be afraid to hit me. Hard."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Trust me love, there are days..."

--------------------

"Are we ready?" Rei asked quietly, cracking her knuckles.

"You're sure about this?" Haruka replied doubtfully.

"Of course." the martian drawled sarcastically. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Oh God." Minako muttered. "Every time she says that, something horrible happens."

"What?" Rei cried, looking hurt. "Since when?"

"Bug demon."

Violet eyes blinked in cute confusion. "Bug demon?"

"...you don't remember?"

Mars shook her head in the negative.

Minako crossed her arms and huffed. "Lucky. Wish I could forget."

Haruka pressed the palm of her hand to her face and sighed deeply.

"Hey, if you guys are done fooling around..." Ami cut in gently.

"Got it." Rei sighed, and the room fell into an eerie silence. The martian held an open hand out in front of her, and focused her will on the dark corners of her mind. She felt a twinge of pain, and an overwhelming flood of emotions ran through her. Anger, sadness, despair. But the hate. Oh God, the hate. It was blinding, and white hot. Voices seemed to pull and claw at her, demanding blood. Her head pounded relentlessly, but she refused to give in. There wasn't much power left, her mother had been right about that, but what was left was murderous. A portal opened before her as the soldier dropped to her knees. Venus rushed to her aid but Uranus held an arm out, motioning for her to get back.

Mars pressed a shaking hand to her face as Mercury immediately sprang into action, analyzing the dark energies cast off with an array of gadgets and tools, and that's when the fire soldier saw something that terrified her to the bone.

_The portal collapsed, but in it's place she could see a hazy image of a figure garbed in dark robes of violet and black. In it's hands it held a weapon, a polearm? No. Mars struggled to get a better look. It wasn't a scythe..._

_...a glaive. It was a glaive. _

"_Who are you?" Rei asked hollowly, already dreading the answer. _

'_Some call me Death, and I will see you soon.' _

"Mars!"

The soldier came too, and the figure was gone. She could hear the hiss of cold steel and immediately panic rose in her heart. "It's still me, damn it all, you don't have to kill me." Rei muttered weakly. That took more out of than she had realized, and something told her that things were about to go from bad to worse.

"Had to be sure." the wind soldier replied, sheathing her blade. "What the hell was that? You were holding a conversation with thin air."

"A vision." Rei sighed wearily. "Just like the first time."

"Of?" Venus questioned softly.

"Death. She called herself that anyway." Rei let out a hoarse laugh. "Said she'd be seeing me soon."

"She?" Haruka pressed softly.

"Yeah." the soldier breathed as Venus helped her to her feet. "Had the glaive and everything." She turned worried eyes on Mercury. "Please tell me you got what you needed. I really don't think I can do that again."

"I've got it."

"Do you think it was a trick?" Minako asked.

"No, I don't." the fire soldier ran a shaky hand through slick bangs. "I think that's why it's so damn creepy."

"A glaive, huh?" Uranus mumbled hollowly.

"Something wrong?"

"What, besides this whole bloody mess?" the outer soldier smirked. "Not a damn thing."

-----------

The wind soldier tore through the palace, as fast as her legs could carry her, until she reached the suite she and Neptune were occupying. She threw the door open without ceremony, startling Michiru from her sleep. Instantly the woman sprang awake, teal eyes wide. "Oh God, has it started?"

Tears sprang to the wind soldier's eyes, and Michiru felt her heart seize in her chest. "What is it?"

"Michi...it's Saturn. She's awake."

Michiru's fingers curled around the edge of the blanket until her knuckles turned white. "No." Immediately Haruka was by her side, pulling her into strong arms. "But that means...."

"I know."

"The Queen." Michiru whispered. "And the others. They're still so young..." her voice cracked, and the arms around her tightened.

"I know."

------------

It had taken her a few tries, and many dead ends, but eventually, with the help of that cute maid of course, Rei had found the kitchen. After a rather awkward tour, she set upon the task of making a sandwich. Nothing like a good snack when one couldn't sleep. It was well past a decent hour, and the palace had fallen silent. It did feel oddly strange to be off duty, but with the amount of guards she had posted near the princess anyway, half of the freaking universe would be awake before a single hair was harmed on that head.

'_Some call me Death.'_

No. Mars shook her head violently as she pawed through the pantry for a heavy block of cheese and salted venison. Thinking about it would only prolong the night. She tossed the ingredients onto the chef's counter and slid up a stool, grabbing a thick loaf of bread and carving off a few slices with a knife.

As she slapped together a good sized meal, she nicked her finger with the edge of the blade, wincing when a thin red line of blood appeared on her thumb.

'_I'll see you soon.'_

Violet eyes squeezed shut. It was like her remaining days were an hour glass now, and she could practically see each grain trickling by the seconds of her life. It terrified her more than she let on, especially to the others. They had enough to worry about.

But why worry? Why worry at all if it was all going to be so pointless? She shoved her plate away and sighed wearily. Funny. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"Couldn't sleep?" a gentle voice murmured as a soft kiss was pressed on the top of her head.

"Hey." Rei replied quietly.

Minako slid a stool up beside her, eyeing the path of destruction the soldier had made in the normally tidy domain. "The cook is going to kill you if she sees this mess."

The martian could only stare at her, horrified.

"What?" the blonde asked, mildly agitated. Realizing her mistake, blue eyes widened. "Oh God, I didn't mean it like that!"

Rei laughed. "It's actually kind of typical."

"Is it?"

The soldier nodded solemnly, and Minako burst into laughter. "I guess it is."

"It's funny, the things I remember and the things I don't."

"Honestly," the venusian huffed. "I don't know how you could forget a beauty like me."

"I don't think anyone could." Rei replied honestly.

"Aww..."

"Don't let it go to your head." the fire soldier muttered, sliding the sandwich back in front of her.

An eyebrow quirked. "You gonna eat all of that?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Looks pretty good."

Rei took a bite and nodded. "It's delicious. You should make one."

"My hero." Minako drawled.

"What?" the raven haired woman muttered between bites. "I don't share my food. You know that."

"Not even for me?"

Another bite. "Nope. 'Sides, gotta get my strength up."

"More like your weight."

"Excuse me?"

"Funny." Minako breezed. "I don't remember stuttering."

Rei cocked an eyebrow. "If you devoted all the time you just spent on talking to making your own sandwich, you'd have one by now." And then it happened. The lip. The pouty lip. The soldier twitched. "Oh no. Not gonna work."

"Please?"

"No."

"Honey?"

"No."

"Sweetie?"

"Hah."

"Oh my GOD!! What is THAT??" the venusian cried, pointing to the far wall.

"Please." the martian scoffed. "Like I'd fall for that."

"Damn."

Rei cast a sideways glance at her lover, arms crossed and pouting dejectedly. Shaking her head, she leaned across the table and picked up the knife, neatly slicing the remainder of her sandwich in half and plopping a half down in front of the goddess.

Minako arched an eyebrow at the gesture.

"If you don't want it..." Rei said, moving as if to take it back.

"No no." the blonde replied, flashing her a brilliant smile. "I'm going to totally enjoy this sandwich that you said you wouldn't share."

"I swear, someday the lot of you are going to give me a complex."

Minako blew her a kiss.

--------------

Rei crawled back into bed, feeling much better than she thought she would have. Funny how the lithe blonde had that effect on her. Minako slid into bed beside her, snuggling close and tucking her head under the soldier's chin.

"Feeling better?" she murmured softly, dropping light kisses across Rei's collarbone.

"Much better."

"Glad to hear it. You're bruising is fading away pretty quickly too."

"Another day or so and it'll be gone."

_Then you can get some new ones._

Rei must have tensed, because gentle fingers immediately set to work, tenderly soothing away knots along her back. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." the soldier murmured into golden locks, relaxing under the sweet ministrations.

Minako laughed queitly. "Love you too."


	23. Have a little faith in me

_-------------------------_

_'Send me forget-me-nots.'_

-------------------------

"And where the hell have you been?"

"You know. Around." Mars couldn't hold back the toothy grin that swept over her features as she bellied up to the counter and gave Hilde a small wave.

"What the hell you mean, around? I thought you were dead for sure!" the woman barked, sliding a glass across the bar top.

"Now now," the martian muttered, slamming back half of the burning liquid, "we both know that the only thing that will ever kill me will be the drinks you serve me."

"Hah!"

"But really, I owe you my thanks." the soldier replied gratefully. "Had it not been for you, I don't know what would have happened that day."

Hilde waved the comment off dismissively and ran a critical eye over the guardian. "For what it's worth, you look like shit."

"You too."

"I hope the other guy looks worse."

Mars chuckled. "Of course she does."

"Oooh." the barmaid replied. "Did the little doll do this to you?"

"What, Mina?" Mars laughed. "Of course not. I just bit off a little more than I could chew."

"It's something bad, isn't it?" Hilde muttered softly. "We can all feel it, even us lesser folk. Just something evil..."

The soldier fought back against the shudder that threatened to run through her. "Something like that." she replied, her tone hollow. She downed the rest of her drink and let out a sigh, and just as quickly as her dark mood had appeared, it had vanished. She flashed the woman a genuine smile and tossed a wad of bills on the counter top as she rose to her feet. "But I have to get back. Take care of yourself."

As the door swung shut behind her, tears prickled the older woman's eyes. The soldier was going to die. She could feel it in her bones.

"You too..."

-----------------

"What's this all about?" Minako questioned warily, her confusion growing as Rei led her by the hand out to the stables.

"It's a surprise."

"You know, I'm really starting to hate surprises." the venusian muttered under her breath.

"Oh come on." Rei tried, "Have a little faith in me."

Minako cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Harsh." Rei mumbled, releasing her hand at the stable gate. "Wait here a moment?"

The blonde obliged, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips in quiet apprehension. Anything involving large death beasts from hell would be enough to make _anyone_ paranoid as far as she was concerned. And sure enough, the gates opened and Rei reappeared, leading a chocolate brown mare out by the reins.

"Oh no. And not just no, but _hell _no." Minako cried.

Rei tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

Minako pointed at the beast. "You know what!"

She received a blank stare in response.

"Never mind." the venusian sighed in defeat, and Rei looked a little hurt.

"It's just a horse..."

Minako couldn't stop the tiny stab of guilt that pricked the back of her mind. Side effects. More side effects from her time in the Dark Kingdom. It wasn't Rei's fault, really. She was trying hard, and the least she could do was try to be a little more understanding when it came to the random bouts of memory lapses on the martian's part. But something deep inside her wondered idly what, or _when_ other side effects would show themselves. Makoto's words haunted her.

'_We can't afford to be messing around right now.'_

But Rei would never hurt her. She knew that.

Didn't she?

"I'm sorry."

The martian's words startled Minako out of her wonderings, and blue eyes snapped up to meet violet.

"Don't be. It's okay."

Rei gave her a ghost of a smile, her eyes lost and empty. "Is it really?"

The blonde opened her mouth to respond, to do or say anything to reassure her, but the fire soldier was back to her old self in a heartbeat.

"So. I wanted to take you somewhere."

"We can't just leave, can we?" Minako replied, feeling a little lost and confused herself at the moment.

"It's alright. I got special permission."

"Where are we going?"

"That's where the surprise part comes in."

"But the others..."

"Are getting their own little break as we speak. It's only for a day." the soldier finished for her gently, giving her a lopsided grin. "Trust me."

"But..."

"No more buts." Rei hoisted herself up onto the mare, shifting in the saddle. "Just for one day, forget that you're a soldier."

"Impossible." the blonde snorted.

"Nothing is impossible."

"Oh yeah? Then try getting me onto that death beast." Minako laughed.

Rei quirked an eyebrow. "Funny, that sounded like a challenge."

"It was more of a fact, really. There is no way that you could possibly..."

The words died in her throat as the martian dug her heels into the horse's flank, urging the animal into a gallop. Before the blonde could grasp what was happening, a strong arm plucked her from the safety of the ground and she found herself sitting side saddle, encircled by protective arms, as the horse never lost speed.

She blinked in cute confusion for a moment before glancing up at the fire soldier. "...I think you just kidnapped me."

"Looks that way."

"Huh."

Rei laughed, warm and deep, and Minako could feel a blush rise to her cheeks. It vanished when she remembered that they were moving at a good clip, and as she tensed, the dark haired woman smiled gently. "Don't worry, Mina. I promise that I won't let you fall. Just lean against me."

The blonde complied, dropping her head against the soldier's chest, comforted by the strong heartbeat under her clothing. Maybe it wasn't so bad to pretend to be normal, even if it was just for a day. Their armor could get awfully heavy, just like their burdens, and sometimes it was hard to remember that underneath it all, they were human too. Worry began to gnaw at her though, and her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. Had Rei always been that strong? Minako had been lifted as though she weighed nothing. Was all that dark energy really dissipating?

She closed her eyes. No. Best not to think about that now.

--------------

"Minako?"

A light kiss brushed over her lips, and the blonde stirred.

"We're here."

Blue eyes fluttered open as Rei slid down off the saddle. Minako stretched briefly, taking in a quick glance of their surroundings. They appeared to be deep in the woods, and she could hear the quiet whisper of running water nearby. The branches of the trees blocked most of the light from the setting sun, but she could still recognize the dirt path leading around a small hill.

Her features mirrored her shock as her jaw dropped. "How did you..."

"Surprise?" Rei offered quietly with a gentle smile.

Tears sprang to the venusian's eyes as she laughed and shook her head. "Definitely."

The fire soldier moved forward, placing her hands on the blonde's waist as she dismounted, guiding her down. "I'm glad you like it."

"The only people who know about this place are the Queen and myself. How did you know about it?"

"It was the Queen's suggestion." Rei explained, unbuckling a traveling pack from the saddle and hoisting it over her shoulder. "She said it was important to you."

"It used to belong to my family, before the war." Minako explained as they made their way down the path. It almost felt like yesterday, those long peaceful afternoons, full of love and laughter. "We used to come here to get away from everything else." As they rounded the bend, a small cottage came into view, and it was just the way the blonde had remembered it, down to the front door, still leaning a touch to the left.

It looked cozy, with one single stone step leading up to the heavy wooden door, and the outer walls had been coated with white plaster, giving the small home a warm, bright look. Rei grinned. It was beautiful out here, but it was nothing compared to the smile the blonde was wearing right now.

"That window." Minako breathed, pointing to one of the two small windows on the front of the structure. "I used to sit there and wait for my father to return from court." She paused before the entrance, resting a light hand on the doorknob. "And it's still beautiful. Someone must have been taking care of it all this time."

Rei nodded. "The Queen mentioned assigning a caretaker."

"She's amazing." the blonde sighed, eyes sparkling as she cast a shy glance at the warrior beside her. "And so are you, to do this for me."

"Go in." the soldier urged gently with a slight nod of her head.

Minako obliged, stepping through the door and letting out a tiny gasp as she pressed a hand to her lips. The interior of the cottage was completely aglow with the light of what had to be dozens of candles, and small sprigs of blue flowers adorned the entirety of the home. With lightly trembling fingers, the blonde reached out to a basket on the table and removed a flower, brushing over a petal lightly.

"They're from Earth." Rei explained softly, setting the pack down and studying her lover intently.

"They're beautiful." the venusian whispered.

"That's because they're the same shade of blue as your eyes."

Minako blushed lightly as Rei removed the flower from her hands and tucked it behind her ear. "They're called forget-me-nots."

"Forget-me-nots?" She laughed quietly. "A little irony there, huh?"

"Something like that." Rei sighed and shifted nervously, suddenly finding the toes of her boots to be very interesting. Her brow furrowed in thought as she shook her head slowly, as though trying to clear her mind. "I...I guess I wanted to show you that no matter what happens, in this life or the next, I could never forget you, or the things you've taught me."

Minako fell silent and the fire soldier squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. Funny. All the times she practiced this in her head, it went so much smoother. From somewhere far beyond this last desperate grasp at normalcy, she could hear the last songs of the day from the birds outside, and it nearly broke her heart. They weren't ever coming back here again, and she was sure they both knew it.

"I love you Mina."

Arms slid around her waist as the blonde pressed her face into the martian's shoulder, and Rei could feel the tears as they soaked through the light fabric of her shirt. She wrapped her arms around the lithe blonde in response, holding her tightly as she shook in the embrace.

"I've always known that." Minako whispered. "I've never doubted that for a second."

The venusian shifted in her hold, and the faintest of kisses brushed across the hollow of Rei's neck. "It's going to be alright, isn't it?"

The fire soldier stiffened as tears stung her eyes. How could she answer that? How could she possibly even begin to answer that?

Soft lips graced her earlobe.

"Lie to me."

Everything felt so desperate and raw, from the way she shook to the pain in her voice, and suddenly Rei couldn't ever remember feeling so utterly defeated. With a strength that masked the uncertainty underneath, she dropped and swept Minako off her feet, feeling as though her very soul was breaking as she rose and arms wound around her neck. The fire soldier carried her into the bedroom, struggling to retain a sense of peace, but as she lay the venusian on the bed, blue eyes fluttered open and tears fell freely.

"The others. Do you think they're doing this now?"

"I hope so." Rei breathed as her vision blurred, the arms around her neck tugging her down.

Gentle hands ran over her body, delicately brushing over scars and old wounds as though to smooth them away, and as butterfly kisses danced across her skin, she wanted to weep. God, it hurt. How could something so soft hurt so badly? Minako took a hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together before leaning forward and kissing her tenderly. Rei ran fingers through the golden locks that seemed to halo the woman above her and squeezed violet eyes shut.

She could barely look at her, and it made everything seem so much could have made it, somewhere far away from here. They could have been so _happy..._

"I love you." Minako whispered.

Mars choked back a sob. Minako understood. She had always been the only one to understand her, even now, as they moved together beneath silken sheets and angelic lips brushed away every tear.

"I'm so scared."

The blonde was startled by the frank openness and vulnerability in her words, and the quiet desperation in her voice made her heart ache. She just didn't understand why it had to be this way. They had done so much and come so far, only to find there lifelong walk had dropped them back off at the starting point, a couple of scared little girls trying to find comfort in each other.

"I'm right here." Venus replied softly.

Rei dug her fingers into Minako's back, gasping. Every touch, every movement, it was all so soft, and she could see the world in broken blue eyes. Every kiss, every brush of fleeting lips was laced with sorrow. She folded, sobbing as a protective arm held her tight and skillful hands pushed her over the brink.

-------

Time was a cruel adversary, and already the sky began to glow in shades of reds and violets as the sun rose. Rei pulled the heavy blanket over both of them, and took her lover into her arms.

"We have to leave soon, don't we?" Minako asked quietly, pressing close.

"Let's not worry about that." the fire soldier murmured, brushing a kiss on her forehead.

"We're out of time..."

"Not yet."

Rei slid her hands down the blonde's nude form. There was so much to say, and so much that they never could say. She had brought Minako here in a bid to show her how much she had loved her, to give her one peaceful night in a sea of uneasiness, but in the end, they were still haunted by the nightmare that threatened to devour them all.

Fingers threaded in her dark mane, pulling her close as she took Minako's lower lip between her own. Minutes blurred, spilling over into each other in a haze, and as the martian caressed smooth thighs that wrapped around her, she wished her hands were softer for her lover's sake. She had always been so rough and calloused, where Minako had always been all curves and perfection. A body like hers wasn't made for battle.

When Venus whispered her name, it was sweet and warm, tumbling from the lips of a goddess, and Rei wished she could carry the whole load for both of them. She wished she could convince Minako to stay away, to find someplace safe, but knew she would refuse. They were all bound by duty, and she wouldn't leave anymore than Rei would.

It was beautiful the way she trembled beneath her on the soft bed, shaking and pleading, lips quivering as they met in a tangled mess, and God, it wasn't fair. Blue eyes shone with a love Rei felt completely undeserving of, and fear dangled over them like a sword on a thread.

_Please. _

She didn't even know what she was asking for anymore.

Her kisses were sweet, and they tasted of something that could have been so much sweeter in a time without smoke and blood.

----------

_"Don't do this!" Venus cried, the words nearly torn out of her throat. Her arms shook and her body ached, and God, if only she could just lie down..._

_Mars shook her head. "There's no choice. It's gone. All of it." She raised her blade, studying the blood that ran down the groove with mild disinterest. "That means you're out of time. You have to decide."_

_"Decide what??" she screamed back, tears blurring her vision. It felt wrong, and she could never remember ever being this tired. _

_"Don't play stupid." the martian sneered, the plates of her armor clinking as she drew herself into a battle stance. "This is what we've been waiting for."_

----------

Venus snapped awake, fear wrenching her heart s she sat bolt upright in bed. Mars was immediately awakened, violet eyes blinking in sleepy confusion.

"Mina, what is it?"

Relief flooded her senses as her lover groggily rubbed her eyes and shook her head. "A...a dream. That's all."

"You okay?" Rei murmured, wrapping her arms around the blonde loosely.

"I am now." Minako replied, covering the martian's hands with her own.

"Mm."

Her heart felt heavy as she retrieved her clothing, and the pair moved in silence as the martian readied the horse for the trip home. Minako cast her eyes up at the bright sun in the sky overhead and felt another pinprick of sorrow.

_It should be raining. _

"You ready?" Mars asked quietly, and Venus flinched at the question.

"I just need one more minute." she replied softly, looking back at the cottage for what she knew would be the last time.

"Take your time." Rei said, climbing up into the saddle.

"If I could do that, I'd keep you here forever." the blonde stated evenly.

The fire soldier blushed lightly and coughed into her fist, the heavy mood broken.

"Now you get shy." Minako sighed, holding out a hand.

"Whatever." Mars mumbled, taking hold of it and helping her up. Venus slid into the saddle behind her and wound her arms around the dark haired woman's waist.

"It was really sweet, what you did for me. Thank you."

Rei's face burned as she fumbled for something to say.

Minako giggled at her obvious discomfort and rest a cheek against her back. "It's okay. I understand."

------------

Mars paced the palace grounds relentlessly, fear gnawing at her. Her heart had been hammering the entire way home, and she knew why. The fighter in her could sense what was coming, and she knew that they were out of time.

By this time tomorrow, everything would be finished. Half of her wished it was over already, while the other half tried to quietly remind her that tomorrow never came until it was too late, and the damage would be done.

She kept her eyes sharp, searching for the slightest movements. When the attack came, it would be swift, and they'd have little time to react. It was imperative that they had any advantage they could, even if it amounted to only a few extra seconds.

As she began to sweep through the perimeter of the eastern wing, a rustling in the hedges sent her senses into overdrive. A figure encroached in the shadows appeared to be tampering with the barrier system, and without warning, the soldier drew her blade and leapt into the fray, using her shoulder to knock the man to the ground.

She raised her sword, ready to plunge it into the intruder's neck, when a startled voice yelped out her name.

"Rei?? God, don't kill me!!"

She hesitated. "Endymion?"

"Nice to see you too." he drawled.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Helping me." A quiet voice explained.

Mars cast a glance to her left, and upon seeing a rather confused Mercury, dropped her stance. "Sorry." She muttered lamely, sheathing her sword and offering a hand to the prince. "I thought..."

"I can guess what you thought." he laughed weakly.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Thanks to the information you provided with the portal, I was able to devise an upgrade to the barrier system. It isn't much, but it should give us a decent chance." Ami replied.

"Oh." Rei felt her cheeks burn. Great. Just great. And here she was, ready to cut down their own men.

"It was awfully quiet without you around." The prince grunted, rising to his feet and offering her a grin. "It was wonderful. Almost a full twenty four hours went by without someone trying to kill me."

"I bet." she scowled. Mercury and the prince shared a laugh at her expense.

"Whatever. I'm just happy to see everything is still in one piece."

"Preparations are almost completed." Ami confirmed. "All we can do now..."

"...is wait."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Notes! **

**Oh man. We be reaching the end of this demented little train ride, and truth be told, it makes me a little sad. Happily ever after? Complete damnation? **

**It's down to the wire now. **


	24. No Sunlight

_-----------_

'_It's the end of the world as we know it.'_

_-----------_

"I don't dance." Mars grumbled.

"Yes you do." Venus replied with a brilliant smile. "You just don't want to."

"Same difference." the martian drawled, turning to take her leave.

Venus shot a hand out with lightning quick reflexes, catching the dark haired woman's wrist. "Nice try." the blonde chuckled, yanking the reluctant guardian back into the ballroom.

A fine eyebrow arched. "Try? Who said anything about trying? No no. Watch this." With gentle pressure, the martian removed the fingers wrapped around her wrist and turned to depart once more. "I am _succeeding._ You are the one _trying._"

"It's not going to kill you!" Venus called to her retreating form.

"Doubtful." Mars muttered.

Just as the fire soldier was within a few feet of the exit, she was greeted by one angry little princess, arms crossed and blocking her path. "Rei?"

Great. Her tone was now drawing the attention of many of the guests and the soldier fidgeted nervously.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The martian swallowed hard. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told her." she grumbled, jerking a thumb back in her lover's direction. "This is not just a no, but a _hell _no."

And eyebrow arched in response as a decidedly evil smirk crossed normally innocent features. No less than four minuets and forty seven seconds later, she _counted_ damn it, Mars was waltzing. To be fair, she was _trying_. As she stumbled for what had to be the tenth time in under a minute, she let out a tired sigh and locked eyes with her partner. "I don't understand why you're so insistent on this Mina."

Minako fixed her with an agitated look as she readjusted her hold. "Darling, you were a princess once too. This should be in your blood."

"....have you ever been to Mars? I don't remember much, but I do remember that we were never the dancing kind."

"First time for everything."

"Right." she muttered, thoroughly unconvinced. A hand tugged at her arm lightly and the soldier groaned inwardly as the princess appeared beside them.

"Let me cut in?" Serenity asked pleasantly, fixing Rei with a stern look.

"Absolutely." Minako replied, turning the martian loose. "Watch out for the attitude though. You might get burned."

Mars rolled her eyes. Did they really have time for this? It could be the freaking apocalypse in just a few scant hours, and these crazy women were worried about dancing. She cast a wary glance in the direction of the Queen, currently chatting animatedly with some of the guests and felt a small flutter of relief take hold. Everything was alright. Everything was still fine. Dear God, she was ready to climb out of her _skin. _

Serenity took her hand as Venus was snapped up by Uranus, and the fire soldier could only watch begrudgingly as the pair moved in prefect tandem among the beautifully outfitted party goers. She felt odd and out of place in her armor, and they all stuck out like sore thumbs, but damn it all, she wasn't going to be caught unaware. Jupiter and Mercury weren't too far behind, and it looked as though neither of them had a care in the world. How could the others be so calm and at peace?

She was ready to scream.

"What's with the attitude?"

"Huh?" The guardian started, jerked back to her current situation by the princess' condescending tone.

"You know what I'm talking about." Serenity replied evenly.

"Do we really have time for this?" Mars asked tiredly. "We should be getting ready."

"How? By pacing around on pins and needles and barking at everyone?"

"...I don't bark." the raven haired woman mumbled dejectedly.

"Just think of it as my birthday present."

Mars eyed her warily. If there was a point to this, she wasn't seeing it.

"Could be the last one, you know? I want to remember us all together, having fun..." the blonde murmured quietly, but with enough volume for only the martian to hear.

Rei stumbled and cast violet eyes downward guiltily. She hadn't thought of that. Hell, she hadn't thought of a lot of things lately.

"Really." Serenity sighed, shoving the martian's shoulder. "I know you're dense, but..."

Mars floundered, jaw agape. "Did you just push me?"

The princess rolled her eyes. "Just shut up and dance with me."

A light blush tinted her cheeks and she could only nod mutely as Serenity worked her way into the soldier's arms. She was so tiny, the guardian mused, so petite and soft. She could break so easily...

Subconsciously, her arms tightened around the princess. She swore to give her life for this girl, and as they moved around the floor, she could remember the reasons why. So pure hearted and sweet. Dark eyebrows furrowed. They would have to drag the very last breath from her body before any harm came to her.

Sensing her dark mood, the princess giggled lightly.

"Would it kill you to smile?"

Unbidden, the corners of her mouth twitched up into a smirk. "Probably." Leave it to her to try and get everyone to calm down on doomsday. One number melted into another, and before she knew it almost an hour had drifted by. She scanned the crowd, always on alert, and upon seeing a flash of an all too familiar black cloak burst into a wide grin. Endymion had just entered the ballroom, looking nervous and flustered, as though he was unsure of his purpose for being there in the first place.

"Looks like your boyfriend is here."

"Hm?" Serenity peeked over her shoulder and blushed.

"Go dance with him."

"But...I..."

"Hey, think of it as an early birthday present to me." Mars stated evenly.

"...cheater."

"You say that like you don't want to, and we both know that's a lie." the martian sighed, letting the blonde go and giving her a gentle nudge. "Go on."

Blue eyes blinked back at her one last time, and the soldier felt a twinge in her heart. Before she could stop and think about what she was doing, she leaned forward and brushed a kiss across the princess' cheek.

The blonde blushed a little brighter. "What was that for?"

"Luck. Move it."

With that, she was gone. Mars remained locked in place for a moment longer as she watched the pair, grinning inwardly as the prince worked up the courage to ask for a dance. Arms slid around her waist from behind, and automatically she covered the hands laced together over her stomach with her own.

"That was sweet of you."

"Whatever."

"Going to dance with me now?"

The soldier laughed as she turned in the embrace and rested a hand on Minako's hip. "Could I ever really say no to you? I tried, and look what's happened!"

"You should know better by now, really."

They moved together, easily this time, and cerulean blue eyes twinkled. "What, after an hour you can dance now?"

"I learn fast, and you're a good teacher."

"Mm."

They fit together perfectly, and suddenly all she could think about was the lithe body in her arms. They seemed to complement each other in way she had never dreamed of, and God, if she had known it could have been like this, she would have been dancing with Minako years ago. Why did she always have to figure these things out when it was almost too late?

_Too beautiful for battles..._

"I wish I could have seen you in a dress." Rei remarked quietly.

"There's always next time." Minako replied easily.

Her heart fluttered, and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to carry the blonde off to bed.

It was funny. She had been so paranoid about the time earlier, but now she could swear the hours were all blending together and moving much too quickly. Minako had almost always had a calming effect on her, soothing her battered nerves when she needed it the most. It could have been a dream, and maybe it almost was. She had almost forgotten the danger, awakening from her Venus induced stupor only when she noticed the prince leading Serenity out onto a balcony.

"Sneaky." Minako remarked with a grin.

"We should follow."

"Pervert."

Rei shot her a warning look but couldn't hold it under the impish grin on the blonde's face. Defeated, she burst into quiet laughter and shook her head. "You wish."

"Maybe I do."

In silent agreement, they trailed after the royal couple, and upon seeing a distressed look cross Jupiter's features, Mars calmly waved a hand to cut her off. Something important was about to happen, she could feel it, and she didn't want to send the entire army up into arms just yet.

They rounded the bend just in time to see Endymion take Serenity into his arms and kiss her tenderly, and the fire soldier took Minako by the arm and silently guided her back into the shadows. She wasn't going to let anything interrupt this for the world, but she wasn't about to let her charge out of her sight either. Wordlessly, Minako rested her head against Rei's shoulder and turned her gaze away. Mars felt a slight twinge of guilt over the invasion of Serenity's privacy, but internally she knew she was doing what she had to. The pair slipped back inside, oblivious to the audience, and the fire soldier had to laugh a little.

"About time."

"Funny, I remember when we all wanted to kill him." Minako pointed out.

"Yeah, well..."

The blonde cocked an eyebrow expectantly and waited.

"You know what? Forget it." Rei laughed.

Arms wound around her neck and soft lips met hers, gentle and sweet.

The martian blinked in surprise. "What was that for?"

"Because I could?"

"...oh."

"I couldn't help it." Minako replied. "You're beautiful when you smile."

Rei felt a faint prick of sorrow when she realized this could be the last quiet moment they might ever share together, and suddenly her heart felt impossibly heavy. She suddenly wished she could just take her back inside and dance the rest of the night away, but she knew better. Her smile melted away, and she tenderly brushed a gloved hand across Minako's cheek. There was so much she felt she should say, so much she should have said all along, and it felt like her last chance. She opened her mouth, but the words never came.

"It's alright." the blonde whispered. "I understand."

"You always do." Rei murmured, her voice cracking.

"Always will." Minako agreed, and in the faint glow of the Earth above, Rei caught a glimpse of tears.

The fire soldier silently tipped her chin up and tenderly kissed away each tear as the arms around her waist tightened. So much to say, and she just couldn't find the words. Their lips met again, but it wasn't soft or chaste. It tasted so bittersweet it ached, and as the kiss deepened, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble ominously. Fear gripped her heart with ice cold fingers, and the soldier felt her eyes burn.

Minako released her hold, and time stopped. For one perfect second, Rei could see her more clearly than she had anything else. Crystal blue eyes were sharp and bright, strong and determined.

The eyes of a leader.

The sky began to turn an angry black, and from somewhere in the distance she could hear the guards stationed down below crying out the alarm.

"Out of time." the blonde whispered.

Rei squeezed her hand. "Remind me to give Pluto a good thrashing when we make it out of this."

Minako gave her a shaky smile. "You know it."

-------------------

"Get the inner chambers sealed, now!" Venus cried, turning to face the other guardians. "Just like we went over before. Mercury, you're with me until we get the disruptors working. Mars, you have the courtyard. The rest of you, hold them off on the walls as long as possible. Fall back to throne room should it start to look desperate. That's our final line, and damn it, we WILL hold it!"

"You heard the lady. Let's MOVE!!" Mars barked, directing the foot soldiers that stormed into the ballroom. The men moved with almost inhuman speed as the Princess and Queen were escorted to the throne room, and for a brief moment, all that was left in the once crowded ballroom were the guardians.

"We'll see if all that training paid off Mars." Uranus drawled, flashing her a cocky grin.

"Guarantee you that I'll bag more than you do." the fire soldier smirked.

"Now now boys." Neptune chided gently.

"Hey." the pair protested in unison.

"Just remember." Venus cut in, "Even if one of us should fall..."

"Keep moving." Mercury finished quietly.

"Even if the worst happens, I can't think of a better group of people to fight beside." Jupiter said with a grin.

"I would hope that if you could, you would have called them up by now." Mars sighed.

"Come on now. You're worth what, two injured men?" the thunder soldier teased.

"Ouch."

"She's got a point." Mercury stated evenly.

"You too, Ami?"

"Truth hurts." Venus replied lightly.

The group burst into laughter, and Mars found herself studying each of them intently, etching their faces into her mind. God willing, come tomorrow, they would all be eating a great feast and celebrating their victory. Part of her knew however, that some of them, maybe all of them, wouldn't make it through the night.

"Alright!" Jupiter cried, slamming her fist into an open palm. "Let's do our best!"

"...do our best?" Mars echoed dully. "I think you just doomed us all right there."

"I think we were dead before the ship even sank." Uranus laughed. "But regardless, let's give these bastards a show."

Mars silently threw a prayer out to whatever God may be listening and closed her eyes. Just a little hope.

That's all they needed.

--------------------

The courtyard was swarmed. Never in all her years could she recall ever seeing such a throng of demons, and for every one she cut down she swore two more took it's place. She narrowly dodged a swipe aimed at her chest by a pair of wickedly sharp claws as she drove her blade into the heart of an enemy soldier at her feet. All around her, the Moon Kingdom's men were falling, but she pressed on. There was no sign of the Generals or Beryl yet, and it was honestly making her more than a little nervous.

As she focused on a dual wielding creature that looked like it had been spawned from the pits of hell, she caught the faint glint of a sword near her left shoulder. Mars uttered a curse under her breath, but the blow never came. The sharp clang of steel on steel echoed briefly, and she caught a glimpse of the Earth Prince, sliding in to take the monster at her flank.

"Miss me?" Endymion asked cheerily, dispatching the beast with ease.

"For once." Mars admitted.

"Someone has to keep an eye on the hothead."

"Who are you calling a hothead?" she barked, launching a fireball into the fray.

"...wow." he grunted, kicking an enemy foot solider back. "That couldn't have been timed any better."

"Oh, shut up." she growled, directing her attention to her fractured squad. "Come on! Push these bastards back, or so help me, I'll cut you all down myself!"

"The great motivator." Endymion drawled.

"Unnecessary comments are not needed." she snapped back. "Why are you out here anyway?"

"I wanted to help any way I could."

She easily sidestepped an arrow fired in her general direction and scowled. "Any sign of the others?"

He shook his head. "No. It's bad, worse than I had imagined. These things seem to be pouring out of every corner."

She engaged another enemy, straining under the heavy sword swings and taking an open opportunity to shoot her own arrow through it's eye socket. "The Princess? The Queen?"

The prince blanched momentarily but recovered quickly, taking on a creature that broke through the defensive line. He was grateful he was on their side, because by god, these women were inhuman. "Secured."

Mars took a step back, breathing heavily as a portal opened several hundred yards out and the courtyard filled with demons. "Thank God, because that's more than I can say for us."

Endymion shifted his gaze and felt his heart wrench at the sight before them. "This is bad..."

Violet eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the last man through the portal, tall and lanky, with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. The grey uniform gave away what she already knew as her senses flew into overdrive. "Zoisite."

"I was wondering when they'd show up." Endymion commented blankly.

"Can you handle this?" she asked worriedly. They were his generals long before they were Beryl's, and she knew it had to be hard on the man.

"Can you?" he replied quietly. "They might try to regain control of _both_ of us. Should they succeed, I expect the results would be catastrophic."

"It'll be different this time." Mars breathed, rotating her shoulder briefly and scanning the battleground for the best route to the general.

"What makes you so sure?" he asked with a lopsided grin.

"Desperation makes for the best motivation, and right now I can think of a pretty damn good reason for both of us to make it through this."

The prince laughed. "I am so glad I'm on your side."

"Indeed. How about we go cause a ruckus?"

"Ladies first."

"Alright." she replied, calling the fire into her hands as she prepared to blast a path through the mindless rabble. "Just try to keep up."

----------------------------

"How's it looking?" Venus threw over her shoulder, firing off a beam of golden energy at the enemy soldier closest to her. Beside her, a young volunteer struggled to push a ladder full of swarming troops off the wall and back down to the ground below. She stepped in, flashing the young man a smile as she gave a hard shove. The ladder toppled, but not before a lone warrior scrambled off the last rung, nearly landing in her lap.

"Almost done!" Mercury cried back, making last minute adjustments to the portal disrupters she had assembled only days before.

"No rush." her leader replied, only half joking as the tip of a dangerous blade grazed her forearm. She grasped the man by the front of his tunic and hurled him off the edge with a grunt, wincing as her shoulder popped loudly in protest. Mars had warned her that they would launch the brunt of their force against the east wing, aiming for the section of wall that had been recently repaired. But as she and her squad strained to hold the line and bar the entrance, it seemed like an impossible task. They had to be outnumbered by at least twenty to one, and she didn't have to be a genius to see that those weren't very good odds.

The young soldier she had assisted only moments before her hit cold stone, hands clawing uselessly at the arrow lodged in his throat. She winced and raised her arm, ready to shout another order as the stone beneath her feet rocked violently. Stunned and confused, she struggled to regain her footing as the sky above them began to glow in a thousand colors.

"...the hell?"

The largest portal she had ever seen began to open down on the fields before them, and the demons and enemy soldiers all around her began to chant a horrifying war cry. Her heart jumped into double-time, pumping pure adrenaline through her veins as the witch herself descended onto the battleground, flanked by what had to be two of her generals based on the martian's description.

"Got it!" Mercury shouted, and the venusian was blinded by a flash of brilliant white light.

-----------------------

"She got it working! Thank God!" Jupiter cheered, driving her elbow into a charred skull.

"Is that what that flash was?" Uranus ground out through clenched teeth, neatly slicing a demon in two.

"Girl's a genius." the jovian beamed.

"Cut the love crap." the blonde teased. "We still have our hands full here."

"Dare I say it, but I think they have the palace surrounded." Neptune cut in, pushing a ladder off the wall.

"But at least they can't bring in reinforcements. We just have to hold the ones we've got off." Uranus replied with a grunt.

Jupiter smoothly evaded the punch aimed at her face and grasped the arm mid swing, twisting until bone snapped and hurling the man down to the soil. "I'm going to check the south line. I'd ask if you two will be alright, but that would be a rather stupid question."

Uranus launched a World Shaking in tandem with Neptune's Deep Submerge, obliterating the group of warriors struggling to right the ladder all at once.

"Very stupid." the blonde smirked.

-----------------------

"I thought she'd be taller." Venus remarked casually.

Mercury shot off an ice shard, grimacing slightly as it pierced the chest cavity of a beast that appeared to be half man, half dog. "And I think now would be a good time to fall back."

Under the piercing gaze of their watchful Queen, the Dark Kingdom's soldiers surged forward with a terrifying bout of renewed vigor.

"It's too soon." she murmured, her stomach tightening into a thousand tiny knots. It seemed impossibly hopeless. The foes before the palace walls looked as though they spread for eternity and back, but she took small comfort in the fact that their ranks would be unable to replenish themselves.

"Venus!" Mercury cried, "We can't possibly hold them all off on our own, Beryl included!"

"And I can't allow her to gain entry." the leader shot back. "They get inside, and it's OVER."

As if on cue, the entire palace seemed to rock on it's foundation.

"That can't be good." a soldier mumbled blearily.

"Probably not." Venus agreed. The rapid assault on the walls had ceased, and that in and of itself was more than enough reason to warrant concern. She shoved one of her men aside, leaning over the stone wall and casting her eyes down to the reinforced door.

It appeared as though their foes had used the Moon's beautiful landscape against them, having torn down a great number of trees and lashing the heavy trunks together into a battering ram. A force large enough to be called it's own army hefted the heavy beam and drove it into the door once more.

"Archers! I need archers, NOW!" she cried hoarsely, desperation cracking her voice as the stone shook beneath her feet.

-------------------------------------

_Notes! _

_Fun times ahead. _

_...or not. You ever watched the anime and noticed that before every major fight, someone always says, 'Okay! Let's all do our best!' ? It's funny, cause everytime someone says that, everything goes to HELL._

_...just an observation. XD  
_


End file.
